The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-31

The growth OF the Law school mas Deen 80
remarkable that we give the numbers in each
graduating class, as follows:--
lSsS EsSr' NJ g iss5 Esar. N2i g
a. 1866.
1908,
1854. Total....... ..."".571
After deducting from the grand total about
2 5names, the number which received degrees
in two departments, the total number of
alumni of the University at present is a little
over 1900.
The resources of the University are princi-
pally the income derived from the proceeds of
the sale of the public lands donated to the in
stitution by Congress. The University is in
reality great free school, and the charges for
tuition are merely nominal. Until within
year or two an initiation fee of ten dollars was
required of every student on his first entrance,
and the only additional charges were an annual
tax of five dollars for incidental expenses, Ns
long as he remained in any of the depart
ments. The initiation fee has recently been
raised to twenty-five dollars in cases where the
student is not resident of the State of Michi-
gan, while the annual charges in all cases have
been increased to ten dollars. This difference
in the initiation fee is the only discrimination
made between residents of the State and non
residents. The annual income of the Uni
versity is about $780, 600, of which $35, 600
comes from the proceeds of the Congressional
grant. The annual expenses approach the
receipts very closely, and some years exceed
them by few hundred dollars. Years ago
the University narrowly escaped becoming by
far the wealthiest college corporation in the
country. portion of the lands donated by
Congress for it's support were located on the
site of the city of Toledo, Ohio; and if the
institution had retained the title to them, its
endowment would now have amounted to mil
lions of dollars. But in consequence of the
boundary troubles between Michigan and
Ohio, which eliminated in the dispute known
as 'the Toledo war;" the State taxes were not
regularly paid, and the title, as a consequence,
passed into other hands.
Some idea of the variety of courses of study
which are presented by the University can be
gathered from what has already been said.
The scientific course of four years duration,
which differs from the classical course only in
the substitution of the modern languages, his
tory, the higher mathematics, and natural
science for the languages and literature of
| Greece and Rome, is becoming more and more
popular. This is shown by the fact that,
while in the class of 1867, containing 81 mem
| bers, there were but 10 scientific and engi-
neering students, in the class of SO members
which entered the University in 1866, there
| were Al students who selected the scientific
course. The facilities for the study of the
more practical branches are not excelled
! by those of any other institution in the coun-
! try. The cabinets of natural history are very
large, and as complete as any in the United
States, and the large refracting telescope in
| the observatory equals in power that at Har-
ward University. The laboratory of Chemis-
try, Pharmacy and Toxicology is unequalled
in size and completeness, the numbers given
above as pursuing the study of chemistry
being those only who are devoted to that
branch, to the exclusion of all others. The
nf
| 10000 volumes, and is being largely increased
by annual purchases. The law library is also
very complete, and has recently been increased
by the valuable collection of legal works do
mated by the Hon. Richard Fletcher, one of the
Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court of Mas
sachusetts.
The University is characterized by two
peculiarities No honors are conferred at
the commencements, all the members
of the graduating classes standing upon
a perfect equality. The spurious emulation
which marks college life in other institutions
is therefore avoided and the system thus far
has worked so well that the authorities con-
template making no change in it, There are,
likewise, no dOrmitOries connected with the
University, each student being permitted to
lodge and board where he pleases. The result
of this is more manly bearing on the part Of
the young men who are thus entrusted with
an oversight of their own conduct. When
ever any one violates the confidence thus re-
posed in him, he is summarily brought to ac-
count by the faculty of his department. The
evils growing out of the common practice IL
! this country of comforting honorary degrees
! without the proper discrimination, have als(
been avoided by the University. Until thu
late commencement, which occurred on th'
26th of June, the Faculties and Regents hav'
. persistenty refused to honor any one but
regular student with diploma. This rul'
has for once been waived in favor of the Hon
Andrew ID. White, for several years Professor
of History in the University, and at present
o member of the State Senate of New York, anc
President of Cornell University, at Ithaca
N. Y, who, at the late commencement wa'
5 made a doctor of Laws.'
For several years past there have been per
) sistent efforts to secure the establishment oil
' chair of Homeopathy in the Medical School
and the admission of ladies to all the depart
ments of the University but these have IN
variably failed, although the State Legislatur
has recently taken the matter in hand. ~
the express provisions of the constitution
: however, the Regents are entrusted with tn
sole management of the institution; and a
, they have just pronounced against both thes
innovations, the excitement attending the dis
cussion of these measures has somewhat sup
sided, and the future of the University
Michigan is as promising as its past has beel
q successful.
7 lowing to pressure upon our columns "
are obliged 70 defer the conclusion OF I'M