ny the Treasurer's report give in detail the amounts paid out during the year, and for what purposes paid, and the present financial condition of the Society.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

J. C. HOLMES,

Secretary Michigan State Agricultural Society.

A

[ No. 12. ]

REPORT of Henry P. Tappan, in relation to the University. To the Honorable, the Senate of the State of Michigan:

The undersigned having received a communication from the Superintendent of Public Instruction, enclosing a copy of a communication from the Senate, dated January 14th., 1857, and containing a resolution passed on that day, requesting information on several items therein specified; and the Superintendent having preferred to me a request in the following words: "Not having in this office the statistics necessary to furnish the desired information, will you be kind enough to make a statement, which I can communicate to the Senate." The undersigned happy to comply with the Superintendent's courteous request, begs leave to make to your honorable body, through him, the following statement:

By act No. 151 of the Legislature, entitled "an act to provide for the government of the State University, &c.," approved April 8, 1851, section 15, the Regents of the University are required to "make an exhibit of the affairs of the University each year, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, setting forth the condition of the University and its branches; the amount of receipts and expenditures; the number of professors, visitors and other officers, and the compensation of each; the number of students in the several departments and in the different classes; the books of instruction used, &c.," all which is to be embodied in the report of the Superintendent.

In section 16 of the same act, the Superintendent is directed to appoint biennially a board of visitors, whose duty it is " to make a personal examination into the state and condition of the University in all its departments and branches, once at least in each year," and to report the same to the Superintendent, which report he is to embody in his own. In compliance with the above act, full reports are annually made by the Regents, besides the reports made by the board of visitors.

The report of the Regents for 1854 contains the names of all the professors and full statements on the points required by the act.

The report of 1855 is equally full, only omitting the names of professors before mentioned, and recording only the changes and additions which have taken place. The report of 1856 is of the same character. In 1856, also, there is a report from the Board of Visitors.

Besides these reports the University annually publishes a Catalogue, containing the names of all the officers and students of the Institution; a programme of the course of study and time allotted to the different subjects, the manner in which instruction is conducted, the books used the time when the collegiate year begins and ends, and in fine, all desirable and important information respecting the institution. These catalogues are widely circulated through the State.

It appears from this that all the information required by the Resolution, with the exception perhaps of the number of hours each professor is employed in each week, has already been given in the reports of the Board of Regents and Visitors, and has been widely diffused by the catalogues.

It is unfortunate for the University that our reports cannot be printed in time to be laid before the members of the Legislature at the opening of the session. Had this been done, all desirable information would have been at hand, and they would have been able at once to refer to any subject connected with the University, and called for in the process of legislation. Thus at the opening of the present session the Legislature would have had the Regents' reports for 1855 and 1856 and the report of the Board of Visitc rs for 1856.

The Superintendent has expressed to me his regrets in relation to this, and doubtless he has met with obstacles beyond his control. The want of printed documents for the Legislature to refer to is still more to be lamented, inasmuch as the great pressure of duty upon this honorable

State officer has prevented him from examining in detail the reports of the Regents, and has thus rendered him unable in his special report to give any particulars respecting the University. The undersigned, therefore, esteems it fortunate for the University that the Honorable Senate has passed a resolution calling for information, which through the courtesy of the Superintendent, he is permitted to give. He will now proceed accordingly to the specifications in the resolution of the Senate.

1. "The number of students in each department during the last col. legiate year, and also the number of students now in attendance."

The number of students during the last year will be seen from the catalogue of 1856 to have been as follows:

Undergraduates in the department of science, literature and the

The number of Students given was the number at the time the catalogue was issued.

At the end of the collegiate year the number was,

404

The number of Students in each department for the present collegiate year as will be exhibited by the catalogue of 1857, now in the hands of the printer, will appear as follows:

Undergraduates in the department of science, literature and the

This shows a gratifying increase. The catalogue of 1852-3 contains the names of sixty in the undergraduate course, and one hundred and sixty-two in the medical.

2.

"What portion of the year the different departments of instruction are maintained."

The collegiate year in the department of Science, Literature and the Arts begins October 1st, and ends the last Wednesday in June, when commencement takes place. This is the usual length of the collegiate year in our country. We have only one vacation, extending from com