Paid for Hay and Feed,....

35

Seed, Labor and Team Work in Field,

Garden and Barn,...

Traveling Expenses of Acting Commis

$ 867 60

1,246 22

Salaries of Officers and Attendants,.....

7,769 26

Paid for Lumber, Joiner Work, Mason Work, in

cluding Lime, Sand, &c.,..

$16,601 23

Water-pipes, Bath-tubs, Water-closet, and

We have examined the foregoing Statement of the Acting Commissioner, and have compared the same with his vouchers, and hereby certify to the correctness thereof.

B. PIERSON,

JOHN P. LEROY,

Trustees of the Michigan Asylum

for the Deaf and Dumb, and the Blind.

REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL.

To the Trustees of the Michigan Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind:

GENTLEMEN-In preparing the usual biennial report of the operations of this Institution, I am obliged, as you are well aware, to rely entirely upon the quarterly reports of my predecessor for information, both as to the number of pupils who have enjoyed the privileges of the Institution, and as to the results of the efforts that have been made for their instruction.

A report thus prepared must of necessity be meagre and unsatisfactory, compared with one drawn up by the person under whose supervision the Institution has been conducted. You will, therefore, pardon any want of completeness in the statements made in this document.

I find from the sources above indicated that the whole number of pupils under instruction during the term ending in July, 1863, was 103-that of these 80 were deaf mutes, and 23 were blind. At the close of the quarter ending March 31, 1864, there were 84 pupils in attendance, and at the close of the quarter ending June 30, 1864, there were 81-all deaf mutes.

The reason that the department for the instruction of the blind was closed during the past year will appear in a subsequent part of the report.

With this brief statement of the numbers in attendance during the past two years, permit me to lay before you the present condition and wants of the two departments. There are now eighteen blind pupils in attendance, and we have

entered upon the duties of the term with two new teachersMiss Emma S. Wesson, who has charge of the musical department, and Miss Clara Dota, who has charge of the intellectual department. Under their instruction, the pupils have thus far made gratifying progress. To enable these teachers to carry on their labors in the most efficient manner, we need a better supply of books, dissective maps, and other apparatus, than the Institution now affords. In a former report your attention was called to the fact that a second piano was needed, and the instrument has not yet been procured. Should the number of blind pupils continue to increase, it will be greatly needed. Even with our present number, the one piano that we have is in use from 6 o'clock in the morning until 9 o'clock in the evening.

We have no doubt that when it is generally known that the department for the instruction of the blind has reopened, our number will be greatly augmented.

In the deaf mute department we have four teachers, viz: Mr. W. L. M. Breg, Mr. W. W. Angus, Mr. W. Hubbard, and Mr. T. L. Brown. The first three gentlemen are graduates from the High Class in the New York Institution; the last named gentleman is a graduate from the American Asylum. These gentlemen have 81 deaf mutes under their instruction, for whose benefit they are laboring with commendable zeal.

The term of instruction allowed by the State to each pupil is seven years. There ought, therefore, to be, as there are in all the older institutions, seven distinct classes, each composed of pupils who have been under instruction the same length of time, or whose attainments are similar. At present there are only four classes, and in each class there are two divisions, composed of pupils of entirely different standing and attainments an arrangement that greatly increases the labors of the teacher, who, even under the most favorable circumstances, has no trifling difficulties to encounter. While he is engaged in imparting instruction to one division of his class, the other division must, unavoidably, be left to go on as they best can