and rules relating to the University, with more full information connected with all our institutions of learning, both academical and primary. In this way information will become general among our own citizens, and the people of other States will acquire that knowledge of our system of PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, which will enable them to appreciate its advantages, and realize the extent of educational achievement which the people of Michigan are destined to attain.

LEGISLATION.

An act was passed providing for the election of Regents, approved March 10, 1851. Also, an act approved March 28, providing that all former purchasers of University and school lands, who had annually paid their interest, but failed to pay 25 per cent. on the principal, might at any time prior to the first day of March, 1852, pay to the State Treasurer an amount which, together with the sums already paid, will make 25 per cent. of the original purchase.

By act No. 74, an amendment was incorporated into section 74 of the school law. (see school law.) An act was passed prescribing the duties of the Superintendent, and repealing chapter 56 of the revised statutes of 1846; also an act to provide for the election of Regent in the upper peninsula. The one mill tax was raised to two mills. An act was also passed to provide for the government of the University, and chapter 57 of the revised statutes of 1846 repealed. An act relating to the State library, was approved April 8, 1851, appropriating the State library room to the use of the Superintendent, for his office, and requiring the State Librarian to perform certain duties connected therewith.

At the extra session, an act was passed, directing the Secretary of State to send one copy of the annual report of the Superintendent to each school district, one to each township, one to each county clerk, and treasurer, ten to each city, one hundred and fifty to the State library, five hundred for binding, and one hundred for the use of the Superintendent. The sum of fifty dollars was appropriated for meteorological instruments, which have been purchased.

SKETCH

OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE CITY OF DETROIT.

OFFICE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CITT OF DETROIT,

Hon. FRANCIS W. SHEARMAN,

1851.

Superintendent of Public Instruction:

DEAR SIR-In compliance with your request to furnish some facts relative to the rise, growth and present condition of the Free Schools of Detroit, I beg leave to transmit the following sketch, which is necessarily general in its character, and only regret my want of time to respond more fully upon the various topics in reference to which you inquire:

The cause of Popular Education in Detroit, has progressed slowly for a City that dates so far back towards the days of those noble Pilgrims, who, in their very first legislation, made sure provision for both the Free and Grammar School, by requiring every township of a certain number of householders, to build up these wells of learning in their midst. But the spirit of the Pilgrims blessed not the foundations of the city of the Straits. They were laid as early as 1701, but by very different hands from those which built upon the rock of Plymouth; and while we are compelled to acknowledge that with us this great cause is yet in its infancy, we nevertheless claim it to be an infancy which already foretokens a strong and vigorous manhood. Detroit, during the last four years, has been putting on the garments of a great Metropolis, and occupying as she does that peculiar position of a reservoir of the great tide of population and trade now rolling in upon her from the east, and the mouth-piece of the broad and fertile valleys that lie far behind her, and penetrate into the most remote regions of the west, no one can fail to see that the day is quite at hand when she must wield an influence more potent in its extent than any other city west of New York. How much depends upon the friends of popular education, in order to render that influence potent for good rather than evil, is already well known to yourself, and I trust appropriately felt by all those among us who have the best interests of their city at heart.

Previous to the year 1841, no such thing as a Free School was known in the city of Detroit, and the interests of general education

consequently languished to such a degree, that the benevolent attention of a few gentlemen, interested in the subject, was at length excited to reform and check the evils which were rapidly springing out of this unfortunate state of things. Foremost among them, and the first to take any steps in the matter, was our much beloved fellow citizen, Dr. Zina Pitcher, long known for his untiring efforts in behalf of every interest connected with this important subject, and widely esteemed throughout our State, for his arduous labors in aiding to organize and perfect our State University; and associated with him was a no less devoted friend to education in our State, Samuel Barstow, Esq., who for many successive years continued to act as the presiding officer of the board of education, and still remains its most active and efficient member, and one to whom the city of Detroit must forever remain indebted for his generous and tireless devotion to this important interest. While acting as Mayor of the City, during the year 1841, Dr. Pitcher called the attention of the several members of the Common Council to the great need of common schools among us, and succeeded in obtaining some statistics on the subject which exhibited the condition of the community at that time in its connection with education. From these statistics disclosed at the time, it appeared that there were then in the City twenty-seven English schools, one French and one German school, but all of them exceedingly limited in numbers, and scarcely deserving the name of schools, except the one connected with St. Ann's (Catholic) Church, which embraced nearly all of the children of Catholic Families then resident in the city. The whole number of scholars in attendance upon these 29 schools at this time, was 700, and this in a city with a population of between 9 and 10,000 inhabitants!!

The average cost of tuition, as then estimated, was seventeen dollars per year for every scholar. It was likewise ascertained that there were more than 2,000 children of the proper school age, within the then limits of the city, all of whom, excepting the the seven hundred above referred to, were not in attendance upon any school whatever, while they were daily ripening into full grown citizenship, and hastening to take their places as Parents and Guardians in the community. Speedy measures were then adopted by the gentlemen above referred to, in connection with others who came forward as fellow la

borers in this good work, and by hiring vacant rooms and securing teachers, upwards of seven schools were soon opened in different parts of the city, and earnest efforts made to persuade various families whose children were then roaming the street, to send them to the daily schools thus established. Yet so great was the apathy and indifference felt by many on the subject, that when schools were thrown open for the instruction of their children at no cost to themselves, it still required the continued personal and individual effort of those interested to bring this portion of the community to see the great advantages they were able to derive for their families from the common schools.

Much difficulty, and embarrassment too, was felt from a certain other portion of our citizens, who, partially from a fear of increased taxation likely to result, in their opinion, from incompetency in the management of the schools, or a reckless and extravagant policy on the part of those interested in establishing the system, and also from a general want of interest on the whole subject of popular education, did not hesitate to array themselves in an attitude towards the new enterprise which savored much more of hostility than good will. This feeling pervaded the minds of a large portion of the older settlers, (although there were not wanting many honorable and distinguished exceptions among them who approved and smiled encouragingly on the project,) and so fettered and embarrassed the work at its very commencement, as to render it a matter of serious doubt for some time, whether it was destined to succeed or to be crushed in the bud. The friends of the system, however, still persevered in their laudable undertaking, and though often discouraged at the almost insuperable difficulties with which they were called to contend, never once thought of abandoning the noble enterprise in which they had engaged. Through their instrumentality an application was made to the next succeeding Legislature, for an act of incorporation, which was subsequently passed, and approved on the 17th of February, 1842.

This act incorporated the various schools of the city, which had just been established, into one district, under the style of "The Board of Education of the City of Detroit," and which is composed of two school inspectors from every ward in the city. Its officers consist of a President, Treasurer, and Secretary, who are annually

chosen by the new board, at their first meeting. By the provisions of this act also, the common council are authorized once in each year, to assess and levy a tax on all the real and personal property in the city, which shall not exceed one dollar for every child between the ages of four and eighteen years, according to the last census taken and on file in the Secretary's office. By the same law, a further assessment of two hundred dollars per annum, for the benefit of the school library, is allowed, and generally collected. Subsequent legislation authorized the voting of a special tax by the freeholders of the city, of a sum not exceeding fifteen hundred dollars, whenever the same should be required, for the erection of school buildings, and this extra tax has been asked and granted in but two instances, since the organization of the schools.

This annual tax of one dollar for every scholar between four and eighteen, granted by the city, together with the proportion of moneys received each year from the State school fund, (and which for the last two or three years has barely exceeded two thousand dollars,) constitutes and comprises the only fund which supports the various schools of our city.

The board now have twenty-two schools in active operation, within the limits of the city, in which number is included one school exclusively appropriated to colored children, and their total annual expenditure in the support of these schools is about eight thousand dollars, of which sum more than six thousand are absorbed by teachers' salaries.

About three years after the schools were fairly started, and just as they commenced taking form and shape, the board were called to encounter a storm which came very near wrecking the whole system, and which, but for the prudent and temperate management of those then entrusted with the interests of the schools, must necessarily have resulted most disastrously to the permanent educational interests of our city. I refer to our first encounter with that perplexing, yet all important subject, the proper introduction of the Bible into the public schools. In a community as largely Catholic as was the city of Detroit at that time, it may be supposed that the opposition to the introduction of the Bible, as a text book, in the public schools, would be vigorously and earnestly contested, and it was so