The Commercial Convention Excursion

Aliout the hour of noou on tay last, 3Iuyor Maykard received a tulcgnira frorn Jude Campiiell, jtating that the Comim-reial Couventiou, then ia sessicn at Detroit, liad fixed upon tho hour 3 o'olock P. M. of ihat day, for an excursión of tho Convontion to our city, on the invitation of our citizens extended tho day beforo. And at the same time carne í disjisïo! frena thb Socro'.ary of tho (Jouvcntior1, ghirig tho probable nuuibcr oí vinitors ut 200. Au informal meeting wna imm dialeiv hfld at. tho ofBee of tho JTirst National Bank, and arrang';menfs for the recep tion entered upon in erirnest. Tho timo for preparnlion bcing short, tho work was dividod up among Coinmittees, who, as (ho finale showed, did their work promiilly aid admirab'y. Tho excursión train, coofistingof tho Dircctor'u Orc and tbree other coaches left the Deti-'it depot, with a delegation nunibering about 175, ladiea and gcntlemen. including somo of tho most prominent rnembers of the Convention, and presenting tho British Provincea and nenrly if iioVeveiy Sirte reprosonted at Detroit. Tho ran was made to omcity in just odc hour and ten minute?. lu the short time intorvening, carriages euru?h had been gnthered at tliu depot to cenvey the wholc dclcgaticn, and the Mayor and Aldormen, Fnculty of tha Universily, and a large number of citizens, wero present a? an escort. A procossion was imracdiatoly formed nader tho direction of Marshal Martin, hèadcd by Gwinncr's Band, which proeeedcd through the principal streets of 'he city to the Univcraity grounds. The guests were cscoived (o tho fine locture room of tho Law Building, whcre í reception ceremonies were had. Mayor Maynard presided, flaiikcd upon the platform by the Fiiculty of tho Univcrsity and prominent menibers of the Convention. Hon. B. F. Qrakgkr, in a brief but appropriate speech, welcomed tho delogation in behajf of the Comnnon Couneil. He said the Convontion had not been invitod to gratify the pride of our citizens, but a3 a trstimony to tho important work the Convsntion had been engagcd in, the magnitud J of the inttrests it represented, and the prominenee and worth of the mon eoni;r'sing it. He hoped, howevcr, that their visit would not bc without picasure and proflt. Alderman Grakrer was followed by Gov. Félch, on behalf of our citizens, who ronewed the weieome to tho delegaron. He briefly and Happily ppoke of tho great commercial interests of tho uation, and trusted that the action of the Oonvention would resu't in promoting them. Gov. FEi,,on was follov'ed by Iïon. T. M. Gooley, in behalf of the Faculty of the University, who sa:d : Mr. Fresfeleöt and Ciontlemen of ths Convention : Wo have thought it fit that a Commercial Convention, ropresenting the country at large, should bc invited to visit an institution which, though named froin the State, is the property of the natiou. Thirty years sinee, the ground upo'i whieh wc stand was an undisturbed grove, to which, in kindly remoinbrance o; some loved.one, tho name of Ann's Grove or Ann's Arbor, had been given ; but since tho donation by tho General Government to tho State of lands for tho endowment of a University, a city has grown up in the provo, whieh si 111 rctains the cherished name. Tho original endowment was entirely in wild lands, and it was not largo ; not bo larpo in fact as Sonic of the other western States have received for tho samo purpose, and if tho Lnstitution is more flourishing now thau iny other similarly er,dowed, it is mainly bücause its resources havo been more cnrefully husbnnded, The departments of the University were organized at differont period's. Iu twenty-oue years the Literary Department has ïont out through the country 501 gráduatos, all of thein, wo trust, botter fftted for the duties and responsibilities of life for tho training received he"i-e. ïliis departm&ot bas now seventecu professors and iustvuctors. The Medical : ment in fourtoon jrcars has sent out 490 graduatcs, and it has now eleven professors aud instructora, Tho Law Dupartment in six years bas sent out 311 graduates, and it has now four professors. It may strike you as you look about among , our buildings that thoy are kisiffieieot for our work, but you must undcratand that wc kave here no dormitorios, such a3 are common in collegiatc inBtitutions; for we have thought it bettcr that student duriog the collegiate conrse should not be deprivcd entii'ely of the beneh'ts of a böme, and we have tbereforo abolisbed the dormitory system, aud studeiits while with us find homes in the families of our citizens. In theory this secincd to US correct, and tho practico thus far bas Bustaincd the theory. The buildings you 866 are exchnsively occupied with our collections, and ior. the purposes of iustruction.. As you leavcthis hall, you will b(; -taken first to the Medical College. An old building, vhieh warf originally supposed ampie! for. that department, has just had added to it anothcr very much larger; bul the xperieace of the last year wuuld secm to indicate tha-t even thi.s u;ay bood prove iusufficient. You will find in it a e i-ooiii for general lectures, capablc of Bcáting 50O student. Yon will fina ;.:icitiii-r i"-jUfiliy eaCÍOUa fúf (litiuical aa 1 anatomie! leoturee. The di.ssectiug ro-nn is not surpassed in tlio aountry.-- ïliero is ;i vory zood tnwjical musoura, and ilic attendamo upon the departiuuut tlia p.'-st year l.as been -11 i. Aud I havo to say in regard to tho numbers shown by our catalogue, that we put no name upoii it except of bona fide students in attendanco; and we believo the number attailly roceiving iustruction in the Mediol Deprirtment of tbc Unirersity the laat year, was largor thrm tliat in atteudancc on any olhersunüar school in the country. From the Medical College you will proeeed to tbo Laboratory of Appüed Uhcmistry. This building is sniall, for lbo lecturo room is in tho Medical Col lege, but the apparataa ia bel;ovcd not to be surpassed in the United Stat s. The instruction giren licro is of the bigbeet order, and for tho most part is in txcusa of that given in colleges generally. From the Luboratory you will procoed to tbc general Museum. The geological speoimoiiS hero you will ünd mnnorous and well arrangfd ; you will be shown 5000 niinersüogical spwápions from all part: of tbc world. And while other de parlnients will rut be wrinting ín interest, L sball only take the timo to mention among specimens of the iino arts, the Horace White Colloction of medsts, ombracing casta froin nntiquo gems in the royal museum of Berlín, medaillon portraits of leadiug personages in the history cf tbo Middlo Ages and of modern tmv, in all somo 1350 ia immber. Thero is, however, oiie thing moro in which we of Ann Arbor have an especial interest, bocause ita author prew up aniong ns, though uow bis famo is world-wide ; I refer to the Statue of NVdia, bj the Sculptor Rogers, The Library in tbo room below contáins somc 17000 volumes, mostly seleeted with care, and with Wew to utility. Tho Law Library is separate, and both are now iner jasing vritli reasonablè rapidity. The Detroit Observatory you will perccivo at a little distance from the grounds, and this also is nofc surpassed in its appointments, The telescope ;it Cambridge is of greater power, but that is counterbalanced by tïic meridian eirelo here boing superior. The nstronomical journals of the world attest bow faithful is the labor here performod, and Prof. Watson, the present Astronomer, bas had tho honor of discovering and naming the planct Euronymo. In this room the law is taught. During the past term the number of law students was 260, and this, I believe, was the largest number in attendanoe in any school in whicb the common law is taught in the world. In the thrco departmenta we had the last year 958 students. To show you how generally these are distributod, and how largo is the interest you all have in consequenco in our labora, I necd only say that 350 of this number wero from the threo States of Illinois, Ohio, and indiana; that 70 were from tho British Provinces, that Maine sent 8, and Kentucky 22; while all tb oro were 22 States, 3 British Provinces, and the Distriot of Columbia, representcd among our students the last year, notwithstanding the largo portion of territory cut off'from us by tbo war. Instruction in tho Univorsity is made as nearly i'ree as possiblo. The Professors are paid from the incoine of our endowmeiit fund, and though this ia sniall, wc are enabled to make it answor through the system we adopt, by which we pay instructora the smallest possible salarie-:, and make it up to them by allowing them to perform the largest possible amount of labor. Tho fecs paid here are orly (o cover incidentals. The largest is paid on entering ; but you will not deom them burdensomo, when I inform you that all the fees paid for instruction in a course of six years - four years in the literary dopartment, and two in tho law - "ircouly S50, whilo if medical iustruotion instead of law ia choaen it is, only fivo dollars more. The standard of admisión to a eks;'ical coursc hero is as high as thnt in any other institution in America. Neverthcless we do not shut out from the Univorsity these who, tbink they can givo their timo more usefully to scientiiic studies than to the ancient lauguages. Wc have a elassical and a scientiiic dopartment, and no one is compellod to etudy the classics agiünst bis own convictions of vvhat will be best and most useful in his par', icular case. Whcn you have visited the grounds, you must visit tho room below, where you will find rcfreshments awaitingyou. I regret that the notiee we bad of your coming was po short tbat-wo could not do full justicc to our wiülics in thia particular, and that yoar time boro will be so limited that you will scarccly bc able to do justice to what is jilaced beforo you. But whutever other rooms you may be obliged fco noglect, do not fail to allow the lafües of Aun Arbor to welcome you in the reFreshntcnt room. We do not profesa to bo cspecially proud of the Univerqkjr, but we ara proud, and wc tliink with reason, of our ladies. I sball detain you to moution :i iiogla other subject Tho heresy of secession nevcr obtaiued a foothold in the University of Michigan imperfect as our record is, wc lenow that 661 of our past or present students havo fought in this war for the Union, and that more tlnm oncninth of (hoÊC h.nve given thcir livcs to their country. You will seo as you go about tho grounds no College (Jhapel It is in this room for tho. present that : (udents asscmble for morning exercisos, and it ishe.ro that tbc word of God is de livered to them ]3tit we trust that thete shall go up upon these a memorial chapel that sball commomoriitc the wrvice3 and the worth of all who have fallen They did not all win the eagles or the stars, but officer or private cacb did his duty well:, and won what was nobler and botter, the title of patriot. Wc want and wc sball seek to obtain liere a monument that shall at tho same time commemorate their services, and also the fact that in this great strugglc the Unir versity of Miehig;vn was found on 'Jio hÍíIi: of Liberty and of (üod !: Judge Cooley's remarks were atfcentively listuned to, and received witb applause. At their conclusión, Mr. Geo. S. Baglev, cbairrnan of the Committec of An fiii_'emonts of tbo Detroit Konrd of Trade, iiitnuluccd Hon. Josepii S. Robes, oí Gó inn, who responded in behalf of tbü (.'oiivciition. Mr. lioPhs, iu beliaif oL tho áelegalion from. ihc States and tho Britísh 1 Provines, roturned their thanks for the , invitatio.n extended them to tUU Lis bcauttíul city, and the magijifieent iustitution they found roared lierc iu the i Wcst. A san of Mass ichusetfs, he hnrd! ]y expected to find Iíarvá:d duplicafsed ! hva bundred miles asvay from Boston, but his gratifioati"ii cijualed his surprise. ITe fclt thit snio of Massachuéi-tts' sons, edueated íq her own ünivereities, liad been recreant to thoir duty íd losving liini - for had been educatod in a forcign University - to respond in tlicir bchalf. Ho spofee of tho Convcntioii aiid ts work, of tho grcat world of business men and their p -s'tion. Tn tíiis eonnect'on, ho refuted tho idea that business men were nut benuíited by a thorough education, and declarad tliat the disciplino, tho sho'astic training, and thu moral instructioii of tho Univcrsity mado more sncecspfal nierehants, wid manufacturo rs, and commercial agentsi. The Convención had discusned tho reciprocity Cjnesti-on, and here they learned thafc rcoiprocity Tras boing earried ont botweon Michigan and tho Provinces. Who would huvo thought, he said, of uiglu sons of Maino coming U Michigan to bo edueated ; of svonty yoimg men coming froní the ncighboring Provinces to driuk in Kopubliean principies with their Greek and Latín. He was not certain that this kind of rociprocity might oot load to resulta moro beneficia! than rociproeal trade. Ho regretted that ho was not peruiitted to meot tho President of tho University, for ho recoguizrd in his name an oíd assooiato and much esteoined frieud. He concluded by again expressing fhe thauks of his fellow visiitors for the kind reoeptiou given them, and by wishing a prosperoua future for the Unircrsity. We regret that we have been obliged to rely entirely upon our memory in rereproducing this brief sketch of the remarks of Mr. Ropes. His speech was well timed, appropriate, full of thought, and was roceived with applauso. Ilon. Hiram Wauiiícb was then called out, and made a brief and enthasiastic speech. The General seoius giren to strong figures, and he gave the world of politicians notice that the business men of the nation had taken affairs into their own hands, that the lato Convention was not only tho most important but the ablest body of men convenod of late in this country, and that its action had sealcd tho fate of politicians. Perhaps, General, perhaps. We have heard of political figurers, wire-pullere, etc, etc , in business circles. The General's remarks were enthusiastically received, and at their conclusión the guests proceeded to visit the variotis b-uildings : first to the Medical College, noxt to tho Laboratory, then to the central building, in which are located the Museum of Natural History, collections in Mineral-ogy, Art Gallery, &o., &o Mueh surprise was expressed at the extent of the spveral collectioiis, aud much ' tion of the works of art, and especially of the bcautiful statue of Nydia, whioh carne i-n for unstinted commendation. Thia work being done as thorouírhly fis the limited time would permii., tlie gussts worc cscorted tlio Ounernl Librar}7 Boom, wiicre the active, energetie, and generons ladies of our city, had ppread the tables. One woald hare hardly thonght that so bountiful. a-repast coiilï iian beeil provided in tiie tfereu hours given to. do'it in. CampbkliA" fitiviv had been cocvcrtcd info a eonk room, fuiá from t came "l'.ot eóffee,'1 of au cdor which brancled it gennine " old Öov't. Jara,'' clear a cryia!, giving evidonce that it had been made by no aínateur. This for the drink, and to eat we noticcd cold meats, dricd beef, haübut, fiue fresh biscuit aud bnttor, light bread, rusks, cake.s, cheese, pickles, &c., &c, with a dessert of Ilangstorfer's bost icecrearn - the "clear quill." Tho guests feil to and did ampie justice to the rofroshments, their good opinión of Ann Arbor, the University, "all tho world and the rost of mankind," increasing - a natural thing, we suppose - as their appetitea vore satisfied. Ücfore leavingtho room, Judgc Theat, of St. Louis, offered the following rcsolution : Resolved, That tho members of tho late Commercial Convention desiro to express their deep sense of the k'ndncss extended to them in connection with the present visit to Ann Arbor ; to R. N. Riee, Esij., Superintendent of the Michigan Central Railroad ; to the Faeulty of the Univcrpity of Michigan; to tlio City Council of Ann Arbor ; and, above all, to the l&dies of that beautiful city, for the gencrous supply of rcfreshments provided for the occasion. The resolution was supportad, in behalf of dclcgates from over the bonndary, by Hon, Mr. Coles, of Prince Kdward's Tsland, who especially thanked the ladics, and was adopted with thrce rousiug choers. After a ütt'c more time spont in ightsecing, the bell soundcil ihe signal for der parture, and the guests wero conveyod to the depot, where farcwells were exchanged antong Eastern and Western delegatos. The latter took the Evcning JÜxpress for Chicago, and the former tho special return train. Both trains moved oft' amid tremendouB chcers for Ann Arbor. Without exception all seemcd pleased with their reception and visit, and left with the most favorable, impression of our city and the University. It was a gala day, and may Ann Arbor see-more stroh. j - In this connection, wemaybe allow cd to say that especial thanks are due to those ladics and gönttètuèn whose promptness and enercy made the affair a ( complete su'-eess It' líe number wasi , nnt so inany, and their inodesty so great, we wouid girt their names. j