Last Week We Were About To Compli

ueiit the Constitutional Cotnniission on he correct decisión it had come to in Irafting and detennining the Uniyersity sectionof the Educational Article, settling disputad olaims of jurisdiction, and givng the unqnestioned and undivided supervisión and control of its funda, permalent and appropriated, to the Board of UVgents. But reineinbering the proverb, ' tuere is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip," we concluded to wait until the conimission had put itself beyond the sowerof "gigging back," "shuntingoff," or taking another tack. And well thafc we did. Tho aectiou in question, and which we should then have indorsed and oominended, was: Sbo. '2. The Regenta of the University and heir successors in otlice, shall continue a body orjioruie by the name and title of " the Board oí ltegents of the Vniversity of Michigan." Sniil board sball consist of tlie two ex ojfirio meinbers provided for in this article, and eight elective members. The tenns of office oí tlie electiva members sball be eight years, and two of suoh members sball be elected everj" econd year at the time of the animal townshipelection, so as to succeed the regenta uow in office as their weveral terms expii"e. Said Board of Regents shall, as often as necessary, elect a l'resideut of the Uuivemty, who ihall be its chief executive ofhcer, and ex officio a member and pi'esident oí said board, with the privilege of speaking bnt not of voting. The supervisión and control of the University shall be vested in tlie Board of Kegents, and said board shall have the direction and control oí' all expenditures trom the University tunda. The section carne up again oa Friday of last week, and after a niotion to strike out the en tire section and insert the provisión oí' the present Constitution liad been made, earnestly discussed, and lost by a tie vote - four menibers being absent - -Mr. Riley moved the addition ot' tbe following clause : " But all moncys ftppropriated by the Legislature to the University upun oondition, sliull tie applied as provided iu the condition accoiQpanyin# the uppropriation." We insline to the opinión that this clause has a broader reach than the mover, designed, and that its attachment to the section would work irreparable injury. To reserve the right of the Legislature to attach conditiona to an appropriation, er rather to make appropriations for a specific puipose is, perhaps, well enough ; but to say that the Regents may not decline the appropriatiou if the conditions shall be found objectionable, but nhiill accept and expend it is a very different thing. With this clause in the organic law the Legislature may appropriate $2,000 and direct that Vit'KY Woouhui.l shall be appointed lecturer on free love ; $2,300 and provide for lectures f rom Geouge Francis Tuaix or Daxiel Praït, on linance ; another $2,000 and direct that Ben Butler or Schuyler Colfah shall altérnate as lecturers on salary-grabs and Credit Mobilier investments, and the liegents raust obey and set Woodhull, Train & Co., at work. Thpse suppositions may be extravagant, but who can teil what a Legislature composed of 132 members, selected for anything else than their fitness to manipúlate and regúlate a Lniversity, and having a ínultiplicity oí' axes to grind in a very brief session, will or will not do? ín other States Universities have been strangled by legislation, and it is not too late for the Univergity of Michigan to shave the same fate. The Legislature lias and should have controKof the keys to the State Treasury ; tko right to make or withhold appropriations as it pleases : tho sanie as for any other State institution. And that is all. TheJ Regenta and not the Legislature should govern the University, mark out its courses of study, - in departments established by law, - determine its proíessorships, and appoint its professors. To say that ihis policy is " removing the University ftuther from the psople " is the sheerest nonsense. Let the people understand tliat nine men, to be elected by tluiiuselves, are really and absolutely responsible for the University and thoso nine mcn will be selected with reference to their fitness to discharge the duty conflded to thern. Not 10 of the 132 legislators can or will be electbd with any reference to their fitness for such a work. The ï'EOPLE, acting through caucuse3 and convcntions, inay not always select the best lawyers or most honest one8 for judges, but no judicial nominating convention in Michigan has yet been packed in the interest of a gang of speculating financiers seeking to procure a revorsal of a decisión soleinnly made by our highest eourt. Can as much be said for the appointive system since the Supreme Court of the United States was packed by the appointinent of Judges Bhadley and Steonq - to procure a reversal of the lügal tender decisión in the interest of great railroad and other corporations who wanted to pay old debts, contracted on a gold basis, in greenbacks 't The Constitutional Commission should look at both sides of this question. But we take it whether the eluotive or appointive system be the best, no eonstitutional amendment will be adopted by the people xroviding for appoiuting judges by the Govemor. That is not the way " reforms " go. The people are not accustomed to relax their hoid of power, and will not in thÍ6 instanoe. Gov. Baqley has ordered a special election to be held in the Fifth. Congressional district on Tnesday, Novexnber 4th. Don Henperson - our lively friend of the Allegan Journal, has issued a cali, as chairmau of the district committee, for a convention to be held at Grand Rapids on the llth inst. - Satrurday nnxt. This cali the Grand Rapids Eaglt repudiates and refuses to give place in its columns, claiming that Don is not the chairman, and that if chairman the cali lias been made without authority, &c. The Journal - the organ of Don, we suppose - and not of the committee, also opons on the Kent politicians, and claims that they have not an inalienable right to the member, as well as to all the other offices of or in the district. Go in Don and deserve succes.s if you don't win it. Meanwhile Grand Rapids trots out a score or less of candidates,BALL,'GlLBERT, Bill Howaud, &c, ifcc. We don't know, however, as we care to write any of them up. - Don has ca ved and the convention will be held at Grand Rapids on the 17th inst., with nine Grand liapids entries. In the Detroit Common Council, on Tuesday evening last, the $1,000,000 Water-Works appropriation was passed over the veto of Mayor Moffat.