University Appropriations

In the House on Friday lust Eoprossntative Mills, chairuian of the Committee on tho University, preseuted the followiug unaniinuus report, accoaiuanying nu appropriatiuu bill the passage of which was recommended : The Oommittee on the State Univorsity, to whoui was refurrud so much of the Goveruor's message as relates to said institution, liso nuuieroiiB petitions relating to various niatters pertaining to it aud its future uinuugeuient, have ma these subjects under considoration, aud ask leave to present the t'ollowing report : In couinion with ourfellow-citizens of this Stilte, we have feit a deep interest in tha great buocoss of the attuuipt uiHiie by our young cnuimonwealth in its iufaucy to found aud couduot au iustituüoii of learuing whioh should at the same time largely aid in systematizing and uuifying a couipluto and thorough systeui of publio eduoation, and also furuish a liberal culture of the highest order for any and all men who might desire it tor the learned professions, the sciences, the arts, and for the highöat work of au American educator. To us, in common with othera, the high character of the intn whoiu we have drawn to this, our educational Mecoa, the broad culture we have given to many who have availed theinselves of its advantages, the aduiiration we have iuspired atnong the people of other States and nations for its largo success as a forcé iu modern progross and Ainurican civilizatiou, have been, aud now are, sources of just pride and joy. It is also a source of extreme mortificatiou to us, as to otliers, that this noble ohild of right royal birth and parent age should every year become more and more a pauper, and cobjb year after year to our feet to bog for support, and even for life. Such was not the intontion of its fouudurs. They provided for it a princely fortune aud support, by grants of land and by encouraging iuuniticent private gifts. It is a paiuful fact, however, that of the large ainouut of land - over 10,000 acres - given it, and which might, with careful and wise management, havo yielded an endowment fund of nearly a million dollars, a large part was either sold at a price far below what it mighi have brought, or rocklessly fritteret away by uufortunate legislation. In this way what might havo constitutec such a magniticent fuud was reducec more than one half. Surely, the Legis lature of Michigan ought to show a disposition to deal justly with the Uuivtjrsity, after wastiug its heritage, if it caunot afford to be even liberal. Whether it was the bost policy to enter upon, for the State to furnish the higher aud professional eduoation by which the favored few were to add value to their labor at the expense of the many, or not, it is now too late to consider. We have adjustod our entire ed ucational system and work to the pres ent order order of things, and to strike out this feature would Bhock and do ïtroy it. And besides, almost every pos sible device has been adopted to make this higher culture oontribute to the general good; so that Uuiversity edu catión is yielding large and constan dividends to every other branch of cul ture and art. It is not only giving money-making advantage9 to the few but it is giving skill and training anc power with which to minister to the atflicted, reach the ends of justice, grace the homes of the people and the hall of the publio, bring out the hidden resources of nature, and aid the popular march towaid wealth, intelligenco, ant virtue. Nor do we, by these statements, dis parage in tho least those excellent in stitutions that have been founded ant sustained by deuominational ontorprise &öuigii"riöble work, tlie fruiïs"of whïó"i neod ouly bo seen to be appreciated. It is not a little nattering to the peo pie of Michigan that our State, ouly forty years old, with every conceivable difficulty in the way of progresa, sucl as dense forests to be cleared, a cold an( rigorous climate, miasmatic belts noarly surrounding it, to deter people from other States from coming here, and the remoteness of older communities, has during that time, triuinphed over these obstacles, and at the same time built up a school system rarely equaled, and is now furnishing higher education to more students than many of the older States are doing. Tho State of Maine has in collegiate and professional courses, 72Ï students. New Hampshire bas 554 Massachusetts, with her woild-wide fame, 2.612. And the Empire State, with a population three times as large as ours, and institutions older than the name of Michigan, 4,666. We are giving the sanie advanced education to 3,346 students. To make the work of the University as efficiënt as possible, and to rendor its educatioual training of the greatest possible use, your committee urge the importance of continuing the school of mines ; of adding a physiological laboratory willis mi:thing toward a proper equipmont ; a philosophical laboratory with suitable appliances ; also, a cheap building with suitable instruments for the usu of students in astrouomy in the regular course. An addition is ueeded to tho building occupied by the dental school. A library building it inuch ueeded. The geuerous offer of Levi Bishop, Esq., of the city of Detroit, to dónate to tlie State, foi a library building for the University, tho suni of $40,0U0 or $45,000, with the oouditions attaohed, viz : that the State pay to him during the life time of himself and present wife, the sum of 8 per cent. on the amount donatcd, and 5 per cent. to the 8urvivor after the death of either, and the further uondition thut the State shall contribute $10,000 toward the building, and a small sum annually for the care, conservation, and incroase of tho library, is regarded as a matter of jreat consequence to the Uuiversity, :joth as an evidence of the hold it has upon the affections of the people, and as suggesting a eolution, in part, of the question, "How shall the University be put on a basis of certain and permanent support '" Is it unreasonable to expect that wealthy and benevolent citizens of Michigan will from time to time conxibute toward suoh endowments as will ü'ikc a large part of the University seli-sustaining? Indeed iiuk.1i has already been done in this direction. The 'enerosity of citizuns of Itetroit and Ann Arbor gave to it the observatory which has so liberally contributud to its ame in the new world and in the old. Another offer comes to us just now, of a donation of $9,000 toward the BealBteerecollection for the museum - a colection of almost inestimable valué iumors of other like gifts como to us rom every quarter. Ought not theso fforts to bo encouraged 'i Thoso noble monumont8 of generosity - Brown Uni versity, Yale College, Vussar, Girard, jind a large number of othors, show onclusively what muy be done by inuiting private benefactions. And such policy recommends itsolf to us just ïow with peculiar forcé. Increased .axation has resulted very inucli from he policy of supporting charitable and ducational iustitutions by taxation silone. Private generositios are absoutely demanded in our forra of civiliation, to prevent the fearful chasm beween the riuh and the poor, such as exsts in many countries of Europe to-dato nd which thoughtful minds are noy, reading here. If wealth is devoted w elfísh aims alone, even though it be obainod by no fraudulentor unfuir means, ; will always be reg&nled by those whose hard toil has vory largely produced it, as a source of annoyauoe, it' not a standing menace ; but when it is einployed in atiy considerable doeree to improvo the condition of the lahoring classes, to aid the unfortiinatn, or to furnisli uil alike the moaiisof improvement and happiness, fewindetid of either class can fail to be reminded of the mutual bonds that nnite all aliko in a comiuon brotherhood. We, therefore, earnestly invite attention to tbis method of advancing the cnuse of higher education, and at the name time furniahing noble examplesof giieroun deods tor the btjneiit of future generations. In the opinión of your coinmittee, the several departments of the Univcrsity aru all doingagood work. Nor oan the peoplo of this State afford to conirait to toom Ipbb than is now exaeted. On the oontrary, step aftor stop should now be taken tomakethe iustitutiou more tborough and efficiënt. The recent action of the Board of Regen ts in affording equal advantages for clinical work and instruction to the professors and stndciits in each of the medical school is to be inuch commended. No iess grateful must every thoughtful person teel for the action of the Regents in regard to extending and grading the couree of medical instruction at the University. it required no little courage on their part, when other medical institutions were reducing their course of study and lectures to secure patronage, to adopt a longer, more thorough and expansivo uno. Should this change in thu quantity andqualityof medical instruction be rendered complete, the diploma of a gradúate from any medical department of the Uuiversity of Miohigan will not be likely to bo discredited by either medical aggociations or the people. ' Your committee do not feel called upon to give any lengthy review of the educational work done by the University in the past, or even of that now being done, That has beon exhaustively treated by the messages of the retiring and the present Governors, also by the committee of the Sonate on the University, to which especial attention is iuvited. We trust also it will not be deenied out of place to refer to the uu happy difficulty which bas grown out of irregularities in the chemical laboratory. At the commencement of this session of the Legislaturo public opinión seemed to require an investigation of that matter. Many members, however, feit an extreme delicacy in taking any steps which could be construed as an interfeieuce with the appropriaie duties of the regtmts ; and all the more so in this matter, becanse it was understood that the whole case would be committed to the courts for settleinent. In that sentiment most of your committee sympathized. The Legislature and your committee were very much relieved from such embarrasstuent by a request iroin the Board of Regeuts to have the whole matter thoroughly investigated, together with their treatmont of the same, and pledging evury assistance in their power to aid in suoh exhaustivo investigation. In conjurïction with the like committee of the Senate, and by direction of both houses, this examination was entered upon at the request of tho regents themsolves. Both parties in this uuhappy contiovery disclosed their cases and presented all the testimony desired. This had not ocourred before in auy investigation. The fallest opportunities were given to all parties ooncorned The most complete and exhaustivo examiuation was had. It was not surprising that conclusions should have been-reached, under such circura6tances differing from those reaohed by othe examinations under lees favorable cir cumstances. The resulta of that inves tigation are before you and the publio Your committeo are profoundly iin pressed with the gen erouscojijiden ceje und sinoe the invustigation. It is also gratifying to know th;t the evidence in this case, though only in part put before the House, is yet abundantly suflicient to incline its merabers to the same conclusions, substantially, as those at which we arrived. Nor will we permit oursulvos to doubt that the Bourd of Itegents, on a careful review of this sad affair, will basten to retrace auy misstep which they have inadvertently taken, or redress any wrong they hare unconsciously committed. With this confidenoe, and also with the fullest assurance of thoir ability so to couduct the great interest involved in this crowing instilution of learning in our young and prosperous State, we heartily commend the University to their care, and to the gener0U8 support of the Legislature and the poople.