Your committee, however, desire to repeat, that they are by no means satisfied that the conclusion thus announced may be relied on as true. It is the nearest approach to truth which, under the circumstances, they can make. If it could with certainty be relied upon, your committee would not hesitate to recommend, and rejoice in the recommendation that the school houses of Michigan should be declared "open to all who may choose to enter." But, while they dare not do this upon such imperfect data as they have by which to ascertain the expense that would thus be cast upon the people, they feel bound to recommend some action looking to the same desirable end. And they believe that if the present law, which allows the levying, by the vote of any school district, of a tax not exceeding one dollar for each scholar within the required ages, upon the property of the district, be repealed, and the present mill tax be increased to two mills, that greater equality in the assessment of school taxes will be secured, and it is hoped, a fund sufficiently large will be obtained to make the primary schools of the State substantially free. At any rate, if this much desired object be not the result, the increase of taxation thus provided for, of a known and limited amount, cannot be regarded as oppressive, and future legislation upon more accurate data, may complete the work, towards which, we now desire by cautious and prudent measures to advance.

The prosperous condition of the University, as appears from the report, and the report of the board of visitors, annexed thereto, attracts the notice of your committee, who rejoice to learn that this institution is laying a foundation for the highest usefulness of the rising generation of our State. The establishing upon a basis, indicating present and increasing prosperity, of a collegiate institution, even when sustained by an ample endowment, is ordinarily the slow and toilsome work of years. And the establishment of such an institution, under the control of the public authorities of a State government, has been a problem of so much difficulty and doubt, that even a moderate degree of success affords ample occasion for grateful remembrance of the labors and services of those by whose care and watchfulness such a measure of success has been achieved. And perhaps no higher praise can be awarded to the management of the University, than is borne by the universal testimony to the character and scholarship of the classes which have thus far been graduated. On this point the report of the board of Visitors holds the most unequivocal language of approbation of the "skill and fidelity in the professors, as well as of diligence and talent in the student.

The department of Public Instruction ought to be regarded as second to none in the State government. The duties of it follow every family in the State to its very fireside, and invite them to an interested co-operation in labors of great importance to the well being of the State. The performance of such duties by the head of such a department, demands the employment of talents of a high order and of the utmost business activity. The report of the Superintendent shows a diligent attention to a great variety of duties, and which must have involved an amount of labor for which the compensation

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allowed by law is a most inadequate remuneration. Your committee therefore take leave to express the hope that this injustice will be suffered to exist no longer; but that a greater efficiency in the office may be secured by placing it, in regard to compensation of the incumbent, on the same level with other State officers, whose duties are neither more important nor onerous. It is hoped that the head of a department so important as this will no longer be regarded as a clerkship, of little responsibility and but inconsiderable labor.

Such an increase of compensation is, moreover, urged in view of a proposed increase in the duties of the Superintendent's office. The mischiefs which arise from the present mode of reporting the annual statistics of the school districts are forcibly set forth in his report, and the means to obviate them are there suggested. Your committee agree entirely in the recommendation, that the township inspectors be required to transmit directly to the Superintendent their annual reports, and thus dispense with the abstracts which the county clerks are now required by law to make. This recommendation is made not only as a matter of economy, which will effect a considerable saving in the sums paid to the county clerks for making these reports, but because the labor of arranging and combining them may be done in the Superintendent's office with much greater certainty of its correctness in view of all the interests to be affected by it.

To carry into effect the foregoing recommendations, I am instructed by the committee to report a bill to amend chapter fifty-six of the revised statutes, and a bill to amend chapter fifty-eight of the revised statutes.

LEGISLATION.

The school law was amended, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Superintendent, so as to bring the report of the school inspectors directly to his office, and the duties heretofore devolving upon the county clerks, so far as the making of abstracts and returns were concerned, abolished. Various other amendments were made, which, as they are now in force, will be found in the primary school law, as published in this document. The law regulating the duties of Superintendent was also changed, and will be found in a subsequent part hereof. The mode of electing members of the board of education was changed by an act of March 29, 1850. An act was passed, enlarging the powers of the trustees of the Wesleyan Seminary, at Albion, and authorizing them to establish at Albion, a FRMALE COLLEGE, as a branch of the Seminary. It was made subject to visitation by a board, to be appointed by the Superintendent, and the trustees required to make a report annually to that officer.

An act was passed to incorporate the Young Ladies' Seminary of the city of Monroe. It was made the duty of the trustees to sub

mit to the Superintendent an annual report, exhibiting its condition in all its departments. The St. Mary's Academy, at Bertrand, in Berrien county, was incorporated; also, the Clarkston Academical Institute; also, the Clinton Institute; the Lawrence Literary Institute Association; the Michigan Central College, at Spring Arbor; St. Mark's College, at Grand Rapids. An act was passed and approved April 2, relative to the support of schools, and the custody of township libraries. The free school law of the city of Detroit was also amended.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

This was an important year in the history of public instruction in Michigan, inasmuch as the act was passed by this Legislature, in conformity with the previous votes of the people, to provide for a REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION. For fifteen years the provisions of the first constitution, relating to education, had stood the test of time and trial-had been the means of securing constant progress, and achieved for Michigan, what had not been accomplished by the provisions of the constitution of any other State of the Union, for the same length of time. The history of our educational affairs, as detailed in this document, presents an array of facts, and develops marks of constant improvement, which, while it exhibits the struggles through which we have passed, must be a source of gratification to every citizen of the State. Upon the subject of education, none can accuse the State of Michigan of apathy or indifference. It is a subject that has been constantly kept before the people, and ap preciated by them; and amidst vicisitudes of no ordinary character, its educational resources and institutions have been secured, preserved and cherished. The first fifteen years of our educational history, under the first constitution adopted by our people, constitutes an epoch, to which we may proudly look back and refer, and from which may be derived a light and a lesson for the future. But with a knowledge of what had been thus far achieved, and with a consciousness of attaining a yet higher standard of improvement, the organic law was cheerfully and with hope, subjected to a revision, from which it was believed still higher and greater results were yet to be accomplished.

The article upon education proposed to the convention, was submitted on the 15th day of June, by Mr. Walker, of Macomb. The

committee consisted of the following gentlemen, viz: Messrs. Walker, Van Valkenburg, Butterfield, Eastman, Desnoyer, J. D. Pierce, Barnard, Williams and Edmunds.

Section 1 provided for the election of a Superintendent of Public Instruction, by the electors, who should have general supervision of public instruction, whose duties should be prescribed by law, and whose term of office should be two years.

Section 2 provided that the proceeds of the sales of all lands granted for school purposes, should remain a perpetual fund, the interest of which, with the rents of all unsold lands should be inviolably appropriated to the support of primary schools throughout the State, and distributed annually on such fair and equitable terms as should be provided by law.

Section 3 provided that the Legislature should establish by law, a system of primary schools, by which such schools should be kept in each and every district for at least three months in every year, FREE AND WITHOUT CHARGE FOR TUITION, to all children between the ages of four and eighteen years, and should provide that any deficiency that may exist after the distribution of the primary school interest fund, shall be raised in the several townships and cities, by a tax upon the whole taxable property in such townships and cities respectively. The English language and no other should be taught in such schools.

Section 4 provided for the election by the people of six Regents. of the University-two for six years, two for four, and two for two years; after which there was to be two Regents elected at each subsequent election, to hold their offices for six years.

Section 5 made it the duty of the Regents at their first meeting, to elect a PRESIDENT of the UNIVERSITY, who was to be a member of the Board, and the principal executive of the University. The Board to have direction and control of all its expenditures, and general supervision of the institution.

Section 6 appropriated the sales of all lands granted, or to be granted for University purposes, as a perpetual fund, the interest of which, with the rents, should be inviolably appropriated to the support of the University, and with such branches as the public good required, for the promotion of literature, science and the arts.

Section 7 provided for the election of three members of the board of education, who, together with the Superintendent of Public In

struction, were to have general supervision of the STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.

Section 8 secured the proceeds of sales of lands appropriated to the normal school, in the same manner as University and school lands.

Section 9 provided for the encouragement and promotion by the Legislature, of intellectual, scientifical and agricultural improvement, and for the establishment of an agricultural school, with a model farm; also for the establishment of libraries, one at least in each township, to the support of which, moneys paid for exemptions from military duty, and all fines assessed for breach of penal laws, were to be exclusively applied.

The article as reported, was taken up in convention, on the 26th of June. A substitute for section 3, was offered by Mr. FRALICK, of Wayne county, who was in favor of raising a tax upon the property, regulated by the number of scholars, if there was a deficiency after the distribution of the income of the school fund-that the Legislature should levy a tax on the whole taxable property of the township or city. Mr. MORRISON, of Calhoun, also proposed a substitute that the Legislature should provide by law, that in the year 1855, and every year thereafter, a general tax should be levied in the State, for the support of primary schools, not exceeding three mills upon each dollar of the valuation of the taxable property of the State; such tax to be levied and collected in the same manner as the State tax for State purposes. Mr. LEACH, of Genesee, also proposed a substitute, which was as follows:

A primary school shall be kept in each school district in the State, months in each year.

at least

The right to attend such schools is guarantied to all persons between the ages of four and twenty-one years.

For the support of primary schools there shall be raised annually, a State tax of not less than cents per scholar for each scholar returned to the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and such tax and also the interest of the primary school fund shall be annually distributed among the several school districts in this State, in proportion to the number of scholars in each, as shown by their returns to the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; and any deficiency that may exist in the districts, after the distribution of said moneys, shall be raised by tax on all the taxable property in such districts.