East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-01-11

value 10 little more than ffy cents ON the dollar
Of their m ininium price. 1his involves the nects-
sity Of making very largo appropriations for tho
construction Of the roads, otherwise they osnncs
be let, and Of course must remain unopcssd--.
Another evil Is, that Ia the scramble for spprc-
priatons Of these lands, combinations nre formed
moro with view, 1t Is feared, Of securing private
interests than Of promotilg tho public good
Without, therefore. recommending any change,
In the policy, which seams TO be settled one.
Of approprfnting these lands for the building Of
roads, would most respectfully suggest that
careful and th ,rough examination on your part
be devoted to an investigation or the claims or
any and every road hereafter asked for, and thas
none be located excepting such only are mani
fsstly for the public interest; and the moro
readily recommend this course from the filct that
many Of the roads already located have mover
been let, while many others have been but par
italy constructed, and that too, In such manner
as TO render Of little value the work already ex-
pended upon thcm Statistics Of the precise con-
dtion, st the present time, Of all the swamp land
roads would DO valuable. and should be obtained
in such form as 10 show, at y single glance, the
date Of their respective locations, thor termni
aud general route, whether completed or other
wiso, II not completed whether lot or otherwise,
II let TO whom and on what terms, what amount
OF work has boen expended upon each, bow much
has been paid upon each, and whether the orig
nal contracts have been abandoned or are still in
force.
The cash sale Of swamp lands for The past year
amount only to the sum Of S33, ,604 ~.
The very small amount thus disposed Of Ia owing
70 the fact that large quantities Of these lands
are offered for sale ut very low rates by road con-
tractors or other persons holding scrip, issucd in
payment for the building Of roads. These lands,
although now Hcarly worthless, will soon, as the
State becomes settled and improvod, be of much
value; for which reason they certainly should not
be squandored at the present time nor indeed DO
disposed Of in any manner without the State
eeiving fair equivalent.
STATE nEFoRM SCHOOL.
The State Reform School now numbers 2l4 in
mates, being n more than at the close Of the pre-
eeding year ia having been received, and 81
having left during the year. The number of those
who have been discharged is unusually large brt
this is owing " the fact that about two-thirds Of
the whole number were permitted to enlist in the
army by tho consent Of their friends. 1t should
be borne in mind, that the increase Of inmates in
the nesiyation will be far greater, per annum,
whenever no discharges are allowed except on
reformation which Is In accordance with the strict
lstter Of the law, and this fact should be taken
into tho eeoount in making the necessary estimate
for the future. An appropriation was msdo Of
Of the school for the years 1863 and 1864. This
sum, In consequence of the great advance In prices
during the past two years has proved insufficient
to meet these expenses, and tho Board Of control
has been under the necessity Of borrowing the sum
Of $4,000, 10 procure the necessary supplies of
food and clothing to the present time. They, also,
state that the further sum Of $4,000 will be re-
quircd to sustain the institatsu, until an appro-
priation from the Legislature will become availa-
bic. The Board Of Control, therefore, ask that
an appropriation of $4,000 be made to moot the
deficiencies of 1863 and 1864, and, also the fur
thcr sum Of S44 900, to meet the current expenses
Of the School, for years, 1865 and 1866
Tho object Of this institution is . noble one, be-
T. f. IL. IL.
Tenders, and, although burdcnsomo to me ssess~
ury, commends itself TO our sympatkes, and
claims our support. The School Is rsprcscnted
as being in fourishng and prospsrous condi-
ton, and rs fully accomplishing the benevolent
purposes for whi.h 1t was instituted. I, there
fore, respectfully recommend that such appropri-
alton be made, az may, upon u careful examina-
tion, be deemed necessary to meet all Its lcgiti-
mate wants for the years 1866 and 1866.
STATE AoRIcULrURAL coLLros.
Tho Agricultural College was originally sstab-
lished by act of the Legislature, approved Feb
ruary IL, 1865 In accordance with the provisions
Of the constitution, which declare that the Leg
islature shall encourage the promotion of intel
lectual, scientific, and agricultural Improvement;
and shall, soon rs practicable, rovids for the
establishment Of an Agricultural School" By
the provisions Of said act 676 acres of land were
subsequently, purchased for the purpose Of an sx-
pcrimontal farm and site for such Agricultural
School buildings were erected thereon ON
the 18th day Of May, 1851, the school was form
ally opened. Here again we find Michigan TAX
ing tho lead in the progressive spirit of tho arc,
BY this action she became tho first State In the
Union to found and establish an institution OF
learning in connection with agricultural labor and
experiment BY an act of Congress approyed
July 2, 1862, an appropriation Of 240, ,00U acres
Of the public lands was made to tho State for the
endowment, support and maintenance Of at least
xrha fhx L..
without excluding other scientific and classical
studies and including military tactics, to tcnek
such branches Of learning ns are related to agrf-
cultural and the mechanic arts in such manner rs
tho Legislature Of tho State may prescribe. In
order to promote the liberal education of the in
fessions in life" Said act u Congress also tro-
vided that portion of the fund arising from the
sale Of said lands, interest thereon shall bs
applied directly or indirectly under airy pretence
whatever, to the purchase erection, preservation
or repair of any building or buildings" Byas
act Of the Legislature, approved February Is,
1863, this grant was accepted by the State in sc-
cordance with all tho conditions and provisions in
the aforesaid act Of Congress.
This endowment, il these lands are carefully
and judiciously selected will very soon be suff-
cont to give the institution fair IL not liberal
support In the meantime, IL is imperative upon
the Legislature by the express provisions Of the
Constitution, to make reasonable appropriations
for its support. l am aware that in conseauepce
Of the very unfavorable circumstances surround
ing this institution during the first few years Of
It's existence, and which to very great extent
controlled Its operations many Of the people Of
the State, who should have been deeply interested
in ie prosperity and success, imbibsI strong pref
udices against il, and we're oven disposed 10 aban-
don 1t altogether L trust, however, that such
persons will suspend Judgment, IL they have not
already done 50, until an opportunity shall have
been had for the institution 10 do justice 10 itself
and its friends, which ! am very certain that Il
will, IL reasonable time bs given il for that pur-
pose. 1t has now, believe outlived much of the
prejudice heretofore existing against il, And will
very soon, with proper encouragement and sup
port, begin 10 dovslops some Of the many bene-
6ts and blessings that are yea destined 10 flow
from il.
OF all classos OF our citizens the farmer Il the
most deeply interested in its success 1t is in facs
the farmers institution, and he should, as
hope he very soon will, regard il With PRIDE Is
TO some II may have seemed that its demands
upon the treasury have thus far been somewhat
large, yet 1t should DO remembered that We aro
laying the foundation Of . noble instiution-ono
destined to reflect groat credit not only upon the
farmer and the mechanic, hut also upon fhe whole
State and that the amount which has been ex-
pended, although largo in itself, is yet small 10
comparison with tho magnitude Of tho interests
which II secured. Agriculture Is no longer what
IT was once regarded by the majority Of othcr
professions OF mon, and partially admitted by the
farmer himself to be, pw, menal employment,
mere drudgsry, adelving in tho soil, simple
round Of labors. in which no thought or mind or
study WAS necessary, but is becoming recognized
q noble sc encc. Formerly any man who hsd
merely sufficient sense to do just as his father did
before him, and to follow his example and mts'.
Ms practice was regarded rs fully competent "
become farmer; and the idea Of applying .vi-
encc Of sgric ltural chemistry, to tho business.
was sncered at by many Of the farmers them
sclves--denounccd rs /" book farmers, ,"--snd re-
sisted us an unwarrantable encroachment upon.
their own peculiar prerogativcs Hut nj the,
present time the cultivation Of the soil has Justly
come TO bo regarded as one Of the most notis aud
dgnhed caiings in which en- educated and soisn- {.
tihc man can be engaged.
The appropriations made by tho last Legislature
for the support Of the Institution for le6S aud
1864, were s,s,oVu This Gum has prov d suoi