would be, "township number two east, in range number one north." The following diagram will aid in explaining this:

DIAGRAM SHOWING HOW TOWNSHPS ARE NUMBERED WITH REFERENCE TO THE MERIDIAN AND BASE LINES.

Some

The sections contain six hundred and forty acres each, unless they are, as is sometimes the case, fractional. times a stream or a lake occupies a large portion of a quartersection, and the part not so occupied we call “fractional,” Sometimes in measuring the townships, the surveyors would, owing to the great difficulties they had to encounter in measuring the distances through the wilderness, swamps, and lakes, and over the hills, include a little too much territory, or perhaps not quite enough. In such case, when the townships were subdivided into sections, and the measurements were made with more care, the subdivisions on the north and west sides of the townships were made to contain whatever was

left, more or less, so that all the other sections in the township should contain just six hundred and forty acres, each. The sections are numbered, commencing at the northeast corner of the townships, and for convenience, are subdivided into quarters; and we frequently see lands described as a quarter of a quarter.

The following is a plan of a township, the subdivisions representing sections:

The United States government gave to Michigan, section sixteen, in every township, of the public lands, for the use of schools, and in addition thereto, seventy-two sections for the support of the State University.

Questions-What two lines were adopted as a basis for surveying the Territory of Michigan? How was the Territory divided? How many miles square are the townships of Michigan? In what way are the Townships designated? Will you make a diagram explaining this? How are the townships subdivided? How many sections are there in a township? How are they numbered and designated? Will you make a diagram explaining this? How many acres are there in a fuil section? How are the sections subdivided? Are these subdivisions always uniform? In what way are some of the subdivisions made fractional? Will you illustrate the subdivisions of sections by a dia gram? What is said of a grant from the United States of certain lands to this State?

CHAPTER XII.

OF THE ORGANIZATION OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY.

To enable the people to defend their rights and to do right and justice, they unite together in a body politic; and when the people are so united and have agreed upon certain rules by which they are to be governed, we speak of such union, in its most enlarged sense, as a State. Bouvier defines a State as follows: "In its most enlarged sense, it signifies a self-sufficient body of persons united together in one community for the defence of their rights and to do right and justice to foreigners."

In a more limited sense, a State means the territory occupied by the united body of people, as, the State of Michigan.

In many countries the rulers are sovereign; that is, they exercise control, authority and power as they see fit, regardless of the wishes or consent of the governed. But in this country no single individual has the right to exercise this power. Here the people choose their rulers, and, by written constitutions, define and limit their powers and duties.

Sovereignty, the supreme or highest power among men, in this country, resides in the people. This power, however, the people authorize their officers to exercise, and, having instituted a government, they have agreed to submit to and abide by certain rules and regulations; have conferred power upon their officers to enforce obedience to such rules and regulations.

Government is defined as, "the manner in which sovereignty is exercised in each State."

In every State there is either some individual or body of men whose duty it is to see to the enforcement of the laws; and we sometimes refer to them as the government.

Questions-What is a State, and for what purpose is it organized? Give Bouvier's definition of a State. What is a sovereign? With whom does sovereign power reside in this country? Who exercises the power of sovereignty in this country? In what way and by what authority are the people required to submit to the power we call sovereignty? What is government? In what other sense do we sometimes use the word government?

CHAPTER XIII.

OF LAWS AND THEIR NECESSITY-RIGHTS AND DUTIES.

The rules of action adopted for the government of the people, are called laws. Hence a law is that which commands us what to do and forbids the things we are not to do.

The necessity for these rules or laws is apparent when we observe and consider the many differences and difficulties among men which arise either from mistakes, honest disagreements, want of judgment, or intentional misconduct or wrong. They are necessary, to indicate to us our duties as members of society, and to protect us in the enjoyment of our rights.

A right is a legal title or a just claim to anything. We have a right to life, a right to our earnings, and a right to act as we please, and to go where we please, provided we do not interfere with the rights of others.

These rights, however, are subject to certain restrictions or