The University and Industrial College.

A final settlement of the Agricultural College question was made by the Legislature, on the last day of the session, in the pas sage of the bill for the re-organization and enlargement of the University of Wisconsin. We have already expressed the opinion that this mode of settlement was probably the best that could be adopted, and it only remains to be said in this connection that, although the law, as it stands approved by the Governor, is not in all particulars identical with the original bill, nor in every respect in which it differs an improvement thereon, yet in all its more important provisions it is exactly the same in accord with the principles approved by the Industrial College Convention.

The law of Congress donating lands for the endowment of a college for the benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts contemplated a broad and liberal institution, embracing more especially the natural and physical sciences, with their applications to the industrial arts, and yet not excluding language, literature and philosophy, which are also essential to a promotion of the libera! and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life. It will be seen by reference to the Legislative enactment conferring the lands upon the State University, that the "College of Arts" thereby created covers the whole ground exactly. It is, in itself, a distinct college, and no less so than if it were planted full fifty miles from any other educational institution; and yet is so planned that it is to derive great benefit from its association with all other colleges of the University. Moreover provision is made in section 2 of said Act for the development of the several courses of instruction embraced in the " College of Arts" into "distinct colleges, each with its own faculty and appropriate title." This is exactly what is wanted. The State needs and eventually will have an Agricultural College, & College of Engineering and Mechanics, a College of Mines, a College of Commerce, a College of Military Science and Tactics, and so on, but the means for their support must accumulate slowly, and hence it is vastly better to begin with the sciences and their applications in a general way, thereby insuring to these several colleges thus begun a safe and healthy growth, than to attempt the impossible work of creating full grown colleges at once.

On the other hand, in the "College of Letters" the literary side of the University is equally well secured and provided for, so that while it loses nothing of what it is or might otherwise become, it will enjoy the full benefit of all that will constitute the College of Arts.

Thus re-organized, enlarged and popularized, what shall prevent the University from rapidly growing in usefulness and in public favor? Wisdom on the part of the Governor in making choice of the best men for Regents, and a suitable friendliness and liberality on the part of the people alone are requisite. It is earnestly hoped that neither of these will be found wanting..

CHAPTER 114-GENERAL.

AN ACT to reorganize and enlarge the university of Wisconsin, and to authorize the county of Dane to issue bonds in aid thereof. The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. The object of the university of Wisconsin, shall be to provide the means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the various branches of learning connected with the scientific, industrial and professional pursuits; and to this end, it shall consist of the following colleges, to wit: 1st. The college of arts; 2d. The college of letters; 3d. Such professional and other colleges as from time to time may be added thereto, or connected therewith.

Sec. 2. The college of arts shall embrace courses of instruction in the mathematical, physical and natural sciences, with their application to the industrial arts, such as agriculture, mechanics and engineering, mining and metallurgy, manufactures, architecture, and commerce, in such branches included in the college of letters, as shall be necessary to a proper fitness of the pupils in the scientific and practical courses for their chosen pursuits, and in military tactics and as soon as the income of the university will allow, in such order as the wants of the public shall seem to require, the said courses in the sciences and their application to the practical arts, shall be expanded into distinct colleges of the university, each with its own faculty and appropriate title.

Sec. 3. The college of letters shall be coexistant with the col

lege of arts, and shall embrace a liberal course of instruction in language, literature and philosophy, together with such courses c parts of courses in the college of arts as the authorities of the uni versity shall prescribe..

Sec. 4. The university in all its departments and colleges, shal be open alike to male and female students; and all able-bodie male students of the university, in whatever college, shall receive instruction and discipline in military tactics, the requisite arms for which shall be furnished by the state..

Sec. 5. The government of the university shall vest in a board of regents, to consist of fifteen members, to be appointed by the governor, two from each congressional district in the state, and three from the state at large. At the first appointment, which shall be within sixty days after the passage of this act, five shall be commissioned for one year, five for two years, and five for three years. Thereafter the full term of office shall be three years from the first Monday in February in the year in which they were appointed, unless sooner removed by the governor.

Sec. 6. The said board of regents shall succeed to the custody of the books, records, buildings and all other property of the university; and the present board of regents shall be dissolved immediately upon the organization of the board herein provided for; provided, that all the contracts legally made and at that time bind. ing upon the board thus dissolved, shall be assumed and discharged by their successors.

Sec. 7. The regents and their successors in office, shall constitute a body corporate, with the name and style of "the regents of the university of Wisconsin," with the right, as such, of suing and being sued, of contracting and being contracted with, of making and using a common seal, and altering the same at pleasure. They shall have power, and it shall be their duty, to enact laws for the government of the university, in all its branches; to elect a president of the university, and the requisite number of professors, inatructors, officers and employees, and to fix their salaries, also the term of office of each, and to determine the moral and educational qualifications of applicants for admission to the various courses of instruction provided, that no instruction, either sectarian in religion, or partisan in politics, shall ever be allowed in any department of the university, and no sectarian or partisan test shall ever

be allowed or exercised in the appointment of regents, or the election of professors, teachers or other officers of the university, or in the admission of students thereto, or for any purpose whatever.

Sec. 8. For the time being, an admission fee and rates of tuition, such as the board of regents shall deem expedient, may be required of each pupil, except as hereinafter provided; and as soon as the income of the university will permit, admission and tuition shall be free to all residents of the state; and it shall be the duty of the regents, according to population, to so apportion the representation of students, that all portions of the state shall enjoy equal privileges therein.

Sec. 9. One suitably qualified pupil from each assembly district, to be nominated by the representative of such district in the legis lature of the state, who, other things being equal, shall prefer an orphan of a soldier who has died in defense of his country, shall be at once and always entitled to free tuition in all the colleges of the university.

Sec. 10. The president of the university shall be president of the several faculties and the executive head of the institution, in all its departments. As such, he shall have authority, subject to the board of regents, to give general direction to the practical af fairs and scientific investigations of the several colleges, and in the recess of the board of regents, to remove any employee or subordinate officer, not a member of the faculty, and to supply, for the time, any vacancies thus created; and so long as the interests of the institution require it, he shall be charged with the duties of one of the professorships. The secretary of state shall be secretary of the board of regents, and shall keep a faithful record of all the trensactions of the board of regents, and perform such duties as they shall impose. The state treasurer shall be the treasurer of the board of regents, and perform all the duties of such office.

Sec. 11. The immediate government of the several colleges shall be intrusted to their respective faculties; but the regents shall have power to regulate the courses of instruction, and prescribe the authorities to be used in the several courses, and also to confer such degrees and grant such diplomas as are usual in universities, or as they shall deem appropriate.

Sec. 12. At the close of each fiscal year, the regents, through their president, shall make a report in detail to the governor, ex

hibiting the progress, condition and wants of each of the colleges embraced in the university, the course of study in each, the number of professors and students, the amount of receipts and disbursements, together with the nature, cost and results of all important investigations and experiments, and such other information as they may deem important; one copy of which shall be transmitted, free, by the secretary of state to all colleges endowed under the provisions of the congressional act of July 2d, 1862, herein before referred to, and also one copy to the secretary of the interior, as provided in said act.

Sec. 13. For the endowment and support of the university, there are hereby appropriated: 1st. The income of the university fund. 2d. The income of a fund to be derived from the sale of the two hundred and forty thousand acres of land granted by congress to the state of Wisconsin, by virtue of an act approved July 2d, 1862, entitled "an act donating land to the several states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts," which fund shall be designated as the agricultural oollege fund. 3d. All such contributions to the endowment fund, as may be derived from public or private bounty. The entire income of all said funds, shall be placed at the disposal of the board of regents, for the support of the aforesaid colleges of arts, of letters, and of such colleges as shall be established in the university, as provided in section two of this act: provided, that all means derivable from other public or from private bounty, shall be exclusively devoted to the specific object for which they shall have been designated by the grantor.

Sec. 14. Meetings of the board may be called in such manner as the regents shall determine, a majority of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a less number may adjourn from time to time. No member of the board shall receive compensation for his services as such member, but each member shall be entitled to re-imbursement, on the audit of the board, for his traveling expenses while employed on the business of the board.

Sec. 15. The first meeting of the regents, the appointment of which is herein provided for, shall be held in the university edifice, on the last Wednesday of June, 1866, at which time the regents when so convened, shall elect one of their number president of the board. The time for the annual election of president of the board