The Law Department

Tiif faHowtng extraets :iri taken from au artk-le by Judge XJioinas M. Cooley ui "The Founding and Early Ilistoi-y of the I.aw Department" iu Monday's ediüon of ilie Miciiigan Aiiimni News: Wlu'ii the Law DepaTfcneni of SCclígañ l'uivcr.siiy v;is organized in lSö'j the Departrueni oí Literature, Scismce ,iml the Arts had been open 1'or eighteea years. lt began in a sniall vray; the northwest was still ior the aist part a wildwness, and Aun Arbcr, lo -.vliich it was ]roi)osed lo iuvite studcius. was lim :i small pioneer riUige, having acruiumod.-itiiiüs mitlior fOT students uor for t lioso who shouW struet tlK'iii. These apcomu)datioDS n usi thewfore be provided. Forty acres in the viltage bad been giren Tor ;i, I'nivi'is'ty cainpus, aud en tht' ucrth .-nul aouth s'nics oí ihis respectirely two bouses were erected for tbe occuiwion of professors, and tbe buildings wliicli iimv cDUfititute n,i' wings i( the ïn.-iin gtvueture on the gounds ffci'i' ut up. A Luv Department in the Univer sl,ty had toeen in eontemplatton fm n i'.u'ly territorial days, and was required by a majidatory provisión in the act. pf ls:;T by whleh tñe [uiv"rsity schenaö w.ia very carèfullj and Lwlly autlined. Ii would perhaps javc been earfier organized, bul the uieaus at i-oinniaiul were extrémela lmiited. ñutí as the Láterary Departmeni w.-i obvionsly i ín' irst neeessity U roeeiv.-d the ftFsl .-!!! ■íiiion. The quefition f oTganrzing t lie Law Departmenl was not taken up untll 1S58. Hciir.v i'. Tappan was at tüai time rrcsidcnt of the üuiversity and presfding officer of the Board of Ue gents. In the matter oí planning fw ;i I.;nv Eepartmenl there is notiiing in the records indieating that he took active part, Hul wlial w.is done is kno.,11 in bare h.nl liis cord.iaJ approvaü, aml coiitnlmtcil. in so faT as ais otïic-p gave occasion icn1 nis ctoing so. to m.-ikc the snccess oí the plan complete. Mui t Di.-iy iroperly be added ht?re l)i.-u so long as reruained presiden) of rlic Uxiiversity his relations to the Luw Department wei-e altogether plasanl and satisfactory. It may well be ealleil a piece o? Rood fortune tli.-ir the Regents w.'u able to secure the services of Professors Canïpfceïl and Walker foi the new SNïhooI. The salary offered wa-s not attractlve, ;i rul il' either of them accepted, it wottld !■ Crom m seuse of duty or fi-om love of the work. Thi y would not be expeeted to chánge theiT resldencee fport Detroit to Ann Arbor, [.■in to go out. for the delivery of lectures vvmild be attemded wltli no -tifdit ïnc-onveuieni-e. The professorships iu the La-w Delartmenr. were n.iined. respeetively thé Marshall, Kent, and J.iy professorrfiips, after the great American jurist wIk, bore thosa aa'nes, oiid Professor Oampbeill was asslgned to i!h tirsr professorship, Profeses Walker tu the second, and Professor cvoiry to the tlurd. The new appointeos mvt shoi-tly after ïhe action of tüe Reigents had been taken. :iik1 proceeded to eonslder the situaUon. The first aeeessity obviously was to provide for a resident professor, for wme of thelr aumber tiu n résided .-.t Ami Arlx)v. Cïrcumstances seeoied tu indícate eiearly tnat the resideut professor musí bc the thinl oanied oii the list. for his ridence wns at a poiut that would preelude his retainlng i: aad discharg'lng wlth any convenienoë to liiniseif the labora expected trom him. No objecfion was, therefore, made on his part to the desire expiressed by the others that he should it once remove ij Aun Arbor. The comnnltee who liad been ail.ointed by the Regenta to solect a site for the la ,v building, and to steps for gecuring is con-strtieüon, had be.ii engaged in the performance of thelr iluty frana ihe tin,e of their appoiirtii'.wit. Ia less tlmn Utree years tiiey were preiarel to idvise that construction be immediately proeeeded with. They seleeted for the location the spoi which was afterwards oecupied, thty sec-ured a plan for the building which was acceptafole to the Regen ts, and in 1S62-3 the building was erected and made ready for occupation at the teginning of the law term in Octo'oer of the last named year. James A. Turner, a young colored man of thls city, was awested Taesday by Marshal Sweet on a serious charge, that of caraally knowing a female under the age of 16. The girl's name is Anna Johnson, also colored, and the date of the crime is fixed at Decenïber 22. Turner has preriously borne a good reputa;tion.