before this evil reputation can be shaken off, and the
confidence of the people of Texas be secured. In or-
der to actually do good work from the first, very con-
siderable expenditure will be needed for the material
equipment of the several departments of instruction,
the provision of a working laboratory, apparatus, speci
mens, diagrams, books, and lecture appliances, as well
as for many general expenses incident to the com-
mencement of activity in such an institution as is con-
templated. A wise provision of law prevents, as I un-
derstand, the use for such purposes of any of the per-
manent fund of the University. Only income can be
used The design of the law givers of Texas, that the
proposed University shall be free to all the people of
Texas, precludes the possibiltiy of obtaining the neces-
sary means from tuition fees. Such means must come
from the State herself for the benefit of her children,
and the income from the present will not suffice.
your board can obtain from the legislature such addi-
tional endowment as will provide, not necessarily for
all the work the University may be able to do in the
future, but for the really essential equipment for the
commencement of work in an institution of learning
of high grade, a university in fact, and not merely in,
name, I believe that your success is thoroughly ensured
so far as human preparation can make it so. If, on
the contrary, a false or a feeble start be made, grave
doubts must be felt as to the attainment of
to the attainment of any such
success as will satisfy the people of Texas, at any rate
within such time as the present generation is concerned
with.

I have the honor to be, sir,
Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

J. W. MALLET.

If

The members of the new faculty of the academic department, or most of them, met soon after their appointment in Nashville, Tenn., to consult with Colonel Ashbel Smith, president of the board of regents, who went there for the purpose, as to the best methods of putting the department into operation and the curriculum of studies to be adopted. Dr. Humphreys, of the

new faculty, lived in Nashville, where he was a professor in Vanderbilt University, and one object of the meeting there was to afford Colonel Smith an insight into the methods, appliances and advantages of that recently established but finely endowed and popular institution, as some index to the requirements of the new University in Texas.

THE LAW DEPARTMENT.

"This department has been an integral part of the University from the first, having been organized at the same time as the academic department at Austin. It has been a great help to the University. It has attracted, as a general thing. a more mature class of students, and its graduates have uniformly been instrumental in turning towards the University the steps of students who desired collegiate learning. This department has not only been advantageous to the University, but it has, it is believed, been of signal service to the State. It has kept in Texas a large number of young men who would, in all probability, have gone to other States for their professional training. They have been educated by professors familiar with Texas jurisprudence, and, when graduated, they have naturally carried away with them a respect for the laws of the State, and a pride in its history and in the achievements of its people that would be desirable to instil into the hearts of all its citizens.-Regents' Report.

THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.

The act of February 11, 1858, establishing the University provided among other things, for "instruction in surgery and medicine," and act of March 30, 1881, required that the medical department be located separate from the University proper, if the vote of the people so determined." The vote resulted in its location at Galvestion. The expense, however, of putting the main University into operation at Austin and the large grants from the University fund which the legislature continued to bestow upon the A. & M. College at Bryan, seemed to preclude the possibility of an early organization of the "Medical Branch of the Uni

versity," as the legislature termed it, till the recent offer of grounds and buildings for its uses by the city and citizens of Galveston, backed by the earnest efforts or Hon. Walter Gresham of that city, as chairman of the House finance committee, stirred the Twentieth Legislature to action, resulting in the adoption of the following provisions in the general appropriation bill, passed at the special session, (General Appropriation Act May 17, 188):

"As a loan to the available fund of the University of Texas to be placed to the credit of said fund out of the indemnity fund now in the State Treasury, and to be paid to the State out of the revennes of the University on or before January 1, 1910, without interest. $125,000. Of which the sum of $50,000 is hereby appropriated and set apart to be used in the construction of buildings for the Medical Branch of the University of Texas, at the city of Galveston; Provided. That the said city of Galveston shall donate to the University of Texas block 668, in said city. to be used for the Medical Branch of said institution. And provided further. That the execu tors of the estate of John Sealy, deceased, shall agree to construct on said block, at a cost not less than $50,000, a medical hospital, which, when completed, is to be donated to the Medical Branch of the University of Texas, and to be under the control of the Board of Regents of said University; Provided further. That this loan shall be in full payment and satisfaction of all claims of the University of Texas against the State of Texas for moneys drawn from the University fund by said State.

Even this concession as a loan was barely gained by combinations forcing an all-around compromise.

Commenting on this action of the Twentieth Legislature in connection with the University claims, amounting with interest to $431,1-8.87, against the State, the regents in their third biennial report to the governor, December, 1888, say:

"Of this amount, it was calculated that the items of interest and the amount misappropriated by the legislature to the Prairie View School would be allowed. These amounts ($302,633 55) would have enabled the regents to finish and equip the main building at Austin and finish and equip the building for the medical school at Galveston."

"It will be noticed that it is distinctly admitted that moneys were drawn from the University fund by the State, and as the correctness of the statements in regard to the amounts of the respective claims has never been questioned, the supposition is reasonable that these amounts were found, upon examination, to be as given

by the Regents to your Excellency. It remains, therefore, that the legislature has paid a debt of $431,188.85 by a loan of $125,000.00. Moreover, the provision

that "the loan shall be in full payment and satisfaction of all claims," will, perhaps, be construed so as to cut off the University from asking an equivalent for the Navigation lands, for the lands in conflict in Grayson and McLennan counties, and for the money drawn from the University fund to pay clerks in the departments. This being the case, the Regents are shut off from all sources from which they can secure an im mediately available fund, except another loan. They, therefore, respectfully ask that a loan of $200,000 be placed to the credit of the available fund of the University of Texas on the same terms as the loan of act approved May 17, 188; of which $125,000 is to be used in finishing and equipping the main University building at Austin, and $75,000 in finishing and equipping the Medical School building at Galveston."

One reason for hoping that the State would make this loan, say of $200.000, was based on the fact that the State had received nearly $1,000.000 indemnity money from the federal government for frontier defense.

Following the action of the Twentieth Legislature, all the last legislature would do for the University was the adoption of the following, in the general appropriation bill, approved April 8, 1889:

"For the support and maintenance of the State University, all of the avaiable fund to be under the control of the Board of Regents, less the appropriation herein made for the Agricultural and Mechanical College, for purchase of grounds in the city of Galve-ton for the location of the Medical Branch of the University of Texas, the sum of $25,000 to be paid out of general revenue, or so much thereof as may be necessary; Provided, The city of Galveston, or its inhabitants, shall donate the sum of $25,000 to be used in addition to the $50 000 heretofore appropriated by the State for the constuction of buildings for said Medical Branch at the city of Galveston.

"For support of the University out of the general reuenue: Provided, The University spend an equal amount out of the available University fund for completing and furnishing the University building at Austin-$25,000.

The regents are arranging for the early organization of the medical department as soon as the buildings can

be completed, and on as substantial basis as the outfit provided will admit. The city of Galveston has already built a large hospital known as "Sealy Hospital," and constructed in accordance with arrangements with the executor of the Sealy estate, at a cost of $60.000, which has been deeded to the State and placed in charge of the regents for the use and benefit of the medical school.

THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT BUILDINGS.

The amalgamation of the Sealy Hospital, with the medical department of the State University, results indirectly from a provision in the will of Mr. John Sealy, who bequeathed the sum of $25,000 for charitable purposes, to be applied in the discretion of his executors, followed by further action of Mr. George Sealy, as executor, and Mrs. John Sealy, as executrix and principal legatee, in extending the benefits of the provision by further grants, altogether aggregating about $70,000 from the estate.

The donation from the Sealy estate was originally to the city of Galveston, on condition that the city would donate the south half of the city hospital block for a site, and agree to conduct a hospital thereon. The city, after formally accepting the donation, and with the assent of the Sealy executors, offered the State the Sealy Hospital and the old hospital buildings thereon. upon condition that the legislature would agree to appropriate the sum of $50 000 towards the erection of the medical department building of the University in Galveston, which question had already been determined. in favor of Galveston by a vote of the whole State. The legislature accepted this proposal and made an appropriation as asked. At the next meeting of the legislature Galveston offered to donate $25,000, upon condition that the State would appropriate a like sum for the college. This proposal was accepted and the State purchased the block of ground, the city's contribution being applied towards completing the medical college building. The furnishing and equipping of the hospital was done by the city of Galveston, and contributions were made by the citizens of some $6,000 to