SEC. 6. The corporators mentioned in this act, shall be jointly and severally liable for the payment of any debts contracted by such corporation: Provided, The third subdivision of section four of an act to provide for the assessment and collection of taxes, approved March eighth, eighteen hundred and forty-three, shall not apply to this corporation.

SEC. 7. The Legislature may at any time amend or repeal this act.
SEC. 8. This act shall take effect immediately.

Approved April 2, 1850.

[ No. 34, ]

PREAMBLE and Joint Resolutions relative to Mons. Vattemare's system of International Literary Exchanges.

Whereas, Mons. Alexander Vattemare, a citizen of France, has, with an unexampled zeal, devoted his time, his energies and his fortune, to the philanthropic effort of establishing an intellectual confederacy among the nations of the earth;

And whereas, His system of international literary exchanges is not only promotive of science and the improvement of literature and the arts, but is also conducive to the fraternization of governments and the diffusion of civilization through the globe;

And whereas, The project has been approved by the Chambers and Ministers of France, by the Congress of the United States, and the Legislatures of several of the States, and by the statesmen and literati of both nations; be it therefore

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That in grateful acknowledgment of his disinterested labors in the cause of humanity and civilization, and for the valuable works presented by him to the State, the thanks of the people of Michigan are respectfully tendered to Mons. Alexander Vattemare, by the Representatives of the people in Legislature convened;

Resolved, That His Excellency, the Governor, be and he is hereby authorized and requested to receive the parcel of books transmitted by Mons. Vattemare, through Lewis Cass, Jr., Esq., to the State of Michigan, and also the parcel consigned to E. Thayer & Co., forwarding merchants, in the city of New York, and to place the same in the State library.

Resolved, That His Excellency be, and he hereby is further authorized and requested to transmit to Mons. Vattemare, a copy of the revised statutes and session laws of the State of Michigan, together with the journals and documents of both Houses of the Legislature, and such maps of the several counties as are now completed.

Resolved, That the State Geologist be and he hereby is authorized and requested to examine and report to the next Legislature what duplicate specimens of the natural history of Michigan are in his department of the University.

Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our Representativds be requested to use their best efforts to obtain the appointment of Mons. Alexander Vattemare as an agent of the general government, to act in behalf of this State, with power to conduct literary exchanges between France and the United States.

Resolved, That His Excellency be and he is hereby requested to transmit a copy of these resolutions, and the report of the committee on education, to Mons. Vattemare, and to each of our Senators and Representative in Congress.

Approved March 12, 1844.

[ No. 107. ]

AN ACT to provide for the support of a system of International Exchange.

SHOTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That the governor of this State be, and he is hereby authorized to appoint some suitable person residing in the city of Paris, in France, to be the agent of this State in transmitting to, and receiving from this State, all such works and objects as are intended as the subjects of international exchange.

SEC. 2. The sum of two hundred dollars, annually, is hereby appropriated to defray the expenses of the said agency in the city of Paris, in receiving from and transmitting to this State such works as may be made the subject of international exchange.

SEC. 3. When the Secretary of State shall have been officially informed that the agency provided for in the first section of this act has been duly established, he shall, upon his order, annually draw from the treasury and transmit to said agent the said sum of two hundred dollars, provided for in the second section of this act, and the said agent shall report annually to the Governor of this State, all his transactions relative to said agency.

SEC. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Approved March 19, 1849.

EDUCATION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB, &c.

[ No. 187. ]

AN ACT to establish an Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind and also an Asylum for the Insane of the State of Michigan.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That there shall be established in this State institutions under the title and style of the "Michigan Asylum for the Educating the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind," and "Michigan Asylum for the Insane," and that eight sections of the State salt spring lands be and is hereby appropriated for the erection of suitable buildings therefor.

SEC. 2. The government of said asylums shall be vested in a board of trustees to consist of five members, who shall be elected annually by the legislature of this State in joint convention: Provided, The Governor shall have the authority to appoint the first trustees under this act.

SEC. 2. The trustees authorized pursuant to the foregoing section, shall constitute a body corporate with the name and title of the "Trustees of the Michigan Asylums," with the right as such of suing and being sued, of making and using a common seal, and altering the same at pleasure.

SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of the above named trustees to meet at such time and place as the Governor shall appoint, and elect of their own body, a treasurer and clerk, who shall hold their offices one year and until their successors are chosen and qualified.

SEC. 5. Said trustees shall meet once in every three months, on their own adjournments, or oftener if they deem it advisable; have power to pass such by-laws and adopt such rules and regulations for the management and control of the institution as they may decm just and right.

SEC. 6. The trustees shall have power, and it shall be their duty to enact laws for the government of said asylums, and also to appoint a principal for each institution, whose respective salaries shall not exceed eight hundred dollars per annum, and who shall nominate for the action of the board of trustees all necessary subordinate officers, who may be dismissed by said respective principals for inefficiency or misconduct; but in case of every removal a detailed statement of the causes shall be reported to the board of trustees by the principal making the removal.

SEC. 7. The trustees shall be the judges of the ability of the candidate of this State for admission, to defray his or her expenses, and shall require the parent or guardians in all cases to pay the necessary expenses where they possess the ability, otherwise the same to be defrayed out of the asylum funds. They shall likewise admit into either institution candidates from any other State: Provided, The necessary expenses be defrayed by the parents or guardians of such persons.

SEC. 8. The board of trustees shall make out annually and report to the legislature, a detailed statement of the operations of said institution.

SEC. 9. The expenses necessarily incurred by such trustees in the discharge of their duties shall be reimbursed to them to be paid as the other expenses of the institution.

SEC. 10. Said board, when organized, is hereby authorized to receive proposals for donations of lands, money or other materials for the location and building of such asylums, and upon receiving a title of any lands, or the delivery of any money, materials, bonds or other security for such purpose, to and in behalf of the State for the benefit of such asylums.

SEC. 11. The board of trustees shall appoint one of their number as acting commissioner, whose duty it shall be to make immediate selection of the lands hereby appropriated, and file a notice of such selection with the Commissioner of the State Land Office, which lands shall thereupon be under the exclusive control of the board of trustees, who shall have power to order the sale of such portions, from time to time, under the supervision of the Commissioner of the State Land Office, as they may deem proper, and for the best interests of the State.

SEC. 12. The acting commissioner shall also have the superintendence of the erection of the necessary buildings, under the direction of the board of trustees, whose salary shall not exceed eight hundred dollars per annum, and which shall be in full for all his services, except the necessary traveling fees.

SEC. 13. The proceeds of the lands and all other moneys shall be paid to the treasurer authorized by this act, who may be required to give bonds with sureties to be approved by the board and filed with the Auditer General of the State; and all necessary expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this act shall be paid therefrom on a warrant drawn by the clerk and approved by the chairman or president of the board.

SEC. 14. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved April 3, 1848.

[ No. 133. ]

AN ACT to amend an act entitled "an act to establish an Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind, and also an Asylum for the Insane of the State of Michigan."

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That section eleven of an act entitled "an act to establish an asylum for the deaf and dumb and blind, and also an asylum for the insane of the State of Michigan," be so amended as to read as follows: "It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of the State Land Office, to make immediate selections of the lands appropriated by this act, and keep on file, in his office, a list

of the same; which lands shall thereupon be under the control of the board of trustees, who shall have power to order the sale of the same or portions of the same, from time to time, under the supervision of the Commissioner of the State Land Office, as they may deem proper and for the best interests of the State; and the proceeds of the same, when paid into the State Treasury, shall be passed to the credit of a fund called the asylum fund.'"

SEC. 2. That section twelve of said act be so amended as to read: "the board of trustees shall appoint one of their number as acting commissioner, whose duty it shall be to take charge of, direct and superintend the erection of the necessary buildings, under the direction of the board of trustees, whenever the proceeds of said lands, paid in the State treasury, shall be deemed sufficient by the governor and trustees for the erection of a suitable building for an asylum of the insane, shall be realized, or means derived for that purpose from other sources, by donation, bequest, or otherwise; and said board of trustees are hereby required to report annually to the governor of the State, on or before the first day of December, a full statement of their action in the premises, and a correct statement of the receipts and expenditures of the asylum fund, verified by the oath or affirmation of the commissioner of the board."

SEC. 3. That section one be so amended that the word “eight,” in the fifth line, be stricken out, and the word "fifteen" be inserted.

SEC. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Approved March 26, 1849.

[ No. 282. ]

AN ACT to amend an act entitled an act to establish an Asylum for the deaf and dumb and blind, and also an asylum for the insane of the State of Michigan, and the act amendatory thereto. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That ten additional sections of salt spring lands, or as inuch thereof as are unappropriated, not to exceed ten sections, be and the same are hereby appropriated for the erection of suitable buildings, and for the support and maintenance of the "Michigan Asylum for the educating of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind," and "Michigan Asylum for the Insane."

SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of the president of the board of trustees of the Michigan AsyJums, to make immediate selections of the additional salt spring lands appropriated by this act, and file a list of the same in the State Land Office; and the said lands shall thereupon be under the control of the board of trustees, and be disposed of in the manner provided in section one of act number one hundred and thirty-three of the session laws of 1849.

SEC. 3. The terms of office of the trustees of the Michigan Asylums, elected or to be elected in the year eighteen hundred and fifty, shall be as follows: two of them shall hold their office for one year, and three of them for two years; and it shall be their duty at the first meeting of the board after the passage of this act, to decide by lot, the terms of office of the members respectively, and file a list of the same in the office of the Secretary of State: Provided, That after the expiration of the terms of office of those holding but one year, their successors shall hold their offices for the term of two years.

SEC. 4. That the sum of five thousand dollars be and the same is hereby appropriated out of the general fund, and the same shall be passed to the credit of the asylum fund, on the books of the State Treasurer, to be used by the board of trustees of the Michigan asylums, from time to time, as it shall become necessary in the construction of asylums for the insane, the deaf and dumb, for the blind, and for other necessary expenses, and shall be drawn therefrom on warrants drawn by the clerk and approved by the president of the board: Provided,

That no more than one thousand dollars of the above sum shall be so drawn within one year from the passage of this act, nor a sum exceeding three thousand dollars the year following, or in any one year thereafter.

SEC. 5. The proceeds of all the lands selected for the benefit of the asylum fund shall be paid into the State Treasury, and five thousand dollars of the first proceeds shall be passed to the credit of the general fund to reimburse to the State the amount appropriated by this act.

SEC. 6. So much of any act or acts as controvene the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

SEC. 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Approved April 2, 1850.

ACTS RELATING TO SCHOOL AND OTHER LANDS.

CHAPTER 59, REVISED STATUTES OF 1846.

OF THE STATE LAND OFFICE, AND THE OFFICERS CONNECTED THEREWITH.

SECTION 1. The State Land Office established in the village of Marshall in the county of Calhoun, shall be continued at the place aforesaid, until otherwise provided by law. [By act No. 217, Session Laws of 1849, the State Land Office is now established at Lansing.]

SEC. 2. The chief officer of the Land Office, shall be called the Commissioner of the Land Office, and shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall hold his office for the term of two years, and until his successor shall be appointed and qualified. [The revised Constitution makes the office of Commissioner elective by the people.]

SEC. 3. The Commissioner of the State Land Office shall receive a salary of one thousand dollars, payable quarter yearly. [Fixed at $800 by the revised Constitution.]

SEC. 4. Before entering upon the duties of his office, he shall take the oath prescribed by the twelfth article of the constitution of this State, and cause the same to be filed with the Secretary of State, and shall also execute to the people of this State, a bond in the penal sum of fifty thousand dollars, with two sufficient sureties, to be approved by the Auditor General and State Treasurer, and deposit the same with the Secretary of State.

SEC. 5. The condition of said bond shall be, that the said commissioner shall faithfully discharge the duties of his said office, and that he will honestly and truly account for and pay over all moneys and evidences of debt that may come into his hands by virtue of his office, or into the hands of his deputy or clerk, according to law.

SEC. 6. The said commissioner shall appoint a deputy, and may also appoint one clerk, if the business of his office shall require it, each of whom shall receive a salary not exceeding five hundred dollars, payable quarter yearly. [Amended.]

SEC. 7. Said deputy and clerks shall severally, before entering upon the duties of their office, take and subscribe the constitutional oath of office, and cause the same to be filed with the Secretary of State, and the commissioner may remove them or either of them at his pleasure; and the said commissioner and his sureties shall be responsible for their official acts.

SEC. 8. The commissioner shall keep a record of the sales of lands and of the moneys received by him on account either of principal or interest, the date of such sale or payment, the description of the lands sold, with the number of acres thereof, and the name of each purchaser, or person paying such moneys, to whom he shall give a receipt for such moneys, and shall credit the proper fund therewith.