ogy, Drawing, Oratory, etc.). Number admitted in 1883-4, 1,417. (7.) A Free Night School of Art (classes in Perspective, Mechanical, Architectural and Decorative Drawing and Designing, Modelling, etc.). Number admitted in 1883-4, 1,956.

(8.) Free Lectures on Science, Art, Travels, etc.

The cost and endowment of the Cooper Union to January 1, 184, has been something over $1,000,000, contributed wholly by Peter Cooper (his bequest of $100,000 and $100,000 given by his heirs being included, and no account being taken here of numerous minor donations for scholarships, etc., from Mr. Cooper and others). Further endowments are invited by the Trustees in their Twenty-fifth Annual Report (May, 1884), in which they say that "while there is an overwhelming demand for the privileges of the institution, so much so, that in some departments applicants are compelled to wait for more than a year before admission can be granted, the institution has reached the limit of its usefulness with the space at its command, and the money available for its support." The income is derived from rents of portions of the building, and from an endowment by Mr. Cooper. If the portions now rented could be appropriated to instruction, it would be possible to double the usefulness of the institution. The annual expenditure involved in such an enlargement would require an additional endowment of $1,000,000.

The number of instructors employed in 1860 was 16; in 1883, 38. Expenditure in 1860, $30,800.71; in 1883, $53,934.57. Number of certificates for full courses awarded in 1861, at the close of the first full year, 272; in 1884, 1,370.

The number of pupils admitted annually to the various schools has been since 1869 as follows: 1870, 2,222; 1871, 2,490; 1872, 2,997; 1873, 2,945; 1874, 3,232; 1875, 3,182; 1876, 3,276; 1877, 3,295; 1878, 3,149; 1879, 3,347; 1880, 3,341; 1881, 2,979; 1882, 3,328; 1883, 3,757.

Mr. Cooper, the venerable and beloved founder of this institution, died April 4, 1883.

This institution was conducted under its charter received from the Legislature until 1879. On the 10th of January of that year a Resolution was passed by the Regents that on filing a written request or petition of the Trustees in the Regents' office, it should be received as one of the Collegiate institutions of the University, and subject to visitation.'

In view of the eminent services of Mr. Cooper in the cause of education, the Regents on the 11th of July, 1878, voted to confer upon him the Degree of Doctor

The magnificent building known as the "Cooper Institute," or "Cooper Union," at the intersection of Third and Fourth Avenues and fronting on Clinton Place, from its central location and converging lines of communication is admirably adapted to the purposes of

of Laws. In view of his advanced age, it was thought proper that the Degree should be conferred upon him at his own residence in New York city, on his next birth-day (February 12), and the members of the Regents were invited to be present.

At a subsequent meeting of the Board the Chancellor reported the proceedings of the occasion, which were ordered to be entered on the minutes, as follows: "The Chancellor reports that on the evening of the 12th day of February last, being the birth-day of Mr. Peter Cooper, at his residence, and in the presence of a brilliant and distinguished company of guests — the Vice-Chancellor and Regents Curtis, Depew, Warren and Reid, and the Secretary assisting, he presented the diploma and conferred the honorary Degree of LL. D. on Mr. Cooper, as ordered by this Board."

The Secretary read the order of the Regents. The Chancellor thereupon made the following declaration:

"This day commences Mr. Cooper's eighty-ninth year. The business years of his long life have been filled with great and successful enterprises of usefulness. He early considered the question what he should do for the permanent good of his fellow-men. The result of his reflections reveals at once his intellectual and moral nature. He determined to found a grand and free institution of learning for the benefit of the masses, in the midst of the vices, the follies and the temptations of this great city of his nativity, and twenty years ago he breathed the breath of life into the Cooper Institute, which is now one of the most remarkable institutions of our age, created and organized and endowed by him alone.

It has cost him, principal and interest, more than $2,000,000. It has about thirty instructors in literature, science and art, and is maintained at an expense of about $50,000 a year. During the past year its free reading-room has been visited by 640,000 readers, having the use of 294 newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, and a growing library of about 20,000 volumes, and its classes of students have numbered the past year, 3,395. He has always been its President. It has been the pleasure and pride of his life. There it will stand forever, a monument of his wisdom and philanthropy -a working monument working out its original purpose day and night, ages on ages, after the monuments of Greenwood shall have crumbled away.

For this munificent and successful effort in the cause of Education he merits the highest educational honor. The College of New Jersey, at Princeton, a few years since, conferred on him the honorary degree of D S., and by the authority of the Regents, as Chancellor of the University of the State of New York, I shall now confer upon him the honorary degree of LL. D."

This was done in the language of the instrument. Mr. Cooper made an appropriate response, in the course of which he said: "I have given the labors of a long life to the advancement and diffusion of scientific knowledge, feeling assured that when Christianity itself comes to be felt in all its purity, power and force, it will then be found to be a simple system, a science, a rule of life, to guide and regulate the actions of mankind."

its establishment. The first and second stories are devoted to business purposes, or used as the offices and library of the American Institute, and other literary purposes. The immense reading-room and the apartments devoted to library, and used as class-rooms for instruction, in the upper stories, are easy of approach, well lighted, and admirably arranged. In the basement is a large and commodious lecture room, in which free courses of lectures upon Scientific subjects are delivered in the winter months. This is the favorite place for public meetings of all kinds, and particularly in the campaign seasons for political assemblies and popular demonstrations, as occasions arise.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY.

Incorporated by the Regents August 7, 1883,' and composed of the "Seminary of Our Lady of Angels," at Suspension Bridge, and a Medical College in the city of Buffalo, in connection with the Buffalo Hospital of the Sisters of Charity. It is governed by a Board of seven Trustees, with full powers of a College.

The report for the year 1882-83 showed an attendance of 18 in the Freshman, 20 in the Sophomore, 18 in the Junior, and 20 in the Senior classes, and of 10 Resident Graduates; total, 86. In June, 1883, there were 4 graduates taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and 2 as Master of Arts in course; total number of graduates, 32. Property: Grounds, 294 acres, valued at $30,000; buildings and furniture, $200,000; library (6,000 volumes), $10,000; educational collections, $6,000; debts, $90,000.

This College is in charge of the Society known as the Congregation of the Mission, whose members are devoted to teaching, and receive no compensation, except that required by the rules of the Order.

CANISIUS COLLEGE.

Located on Washington street, in Buffalo, and conducted by members of the Society of Jesus. Incorporated without provisional requirements January 11, 1883. In the report made by the committee at the time of granting a charter, it is stated that the buildings are very extensive, and admirably adapted to the uses of a College. Its library and philosophical apparatus are good, and the revenues

1 By an act passed May 3, 1884, the former act of 1863 (chap. 190) was amended, by more fully enlarging the powers formerly granted, in the establishment of a Medical Department and the granting of degrees.

abundant for its uses. The property with which it was proposed to endow the College was estimated to be worth $240,600 by fair and competent judges.

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE.

This institution was founded in 1824, by the Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer, of Albany, as a school of Theoretical and Practical Science.

It was incorporated March 21, 1826,1 by special act under the name of "The Rensselaer School," and for purposes set forth in the preamble of the act as follows:

"WHEREAS, The Honorable Stephen Van Rensselaer has procured suitable buildings in the city of Troy, in Rensselaer county, and therein set up a school, and at his own private expense has furnished the same with a scientific library, chemical and philosophical apparatus, implements for teaching land surveying and other branches of practical mathematics, which are useful to the agricul turist, the machinist and to other artists; has caused to be prepared and furnished separate and commodious rooms for instruction in natural philosophy, natural history, the common operations in chemistry, and an assay room for the analysis of soils, manures, minerals and animal and vegetable matter, with the application of these departments of science to agriculture, domestic economy and the arts; and

WHEREAS, said Van Rensselaer has employed teachers, and caused an experimental system of instruction to be adopted by them, whereby each student is required to observe the operations of a select number of agriculturists and artists in the vicinity of said school, and to demonstrate the principles upon which the results of such operations depend, by experiments and specimens performed and exhibited by his own hands, under the direction of said teachers; and WHEREAS, One important object of said school is to qualify teachers for instructing youth in villages and common school districts, belonging to the class of farmers and mechanics, by lectures or otherwise, in the application of the most important principles of experimental chemistry, natural philosophy and practical mathematics to agriculture, domestic economy, the arts and manufactures;

and

WHEREAS, The Trustees of said school, who were appointed to take charge thereof by said Van Rensselaer, by an instrument in writing, dated November the 5th, in the year 1824, have represented to this Legislature that after having tested the plan of said school by a trial of one year, they find it to be practicable, and in their opinion highly beneficial to the public; and

1 Chap 83, Laws of 1826, p. 63.

WHEREAS, The Legislature consider it their duty to encourage such laudable efforts, and such municipal applications of the surplus wealth of individuals; therefore, be it enacted, etc."

The act proceeds to name Simeon DeWitt, Samuel Blatchford, John D. Dickinson, Gerrit Van Schoonhoven, Elias Parmelee, Richard P. Hart, John Cramer and Theodore Romeyn Beck, as Trustees, and to define their powers. The income was limited to $20,000 a year.

On the 8th of February, 1828, Governor Clinton transmitted to the Legislature, with his cordial approval, an application from the Trustees of this school, consenting to an alteration of their charter, so as to vest in the Regents, or in the Trustees, the power to change its location to any place in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga or Schenectady counties, and by a change that might allow the appointment of Trustees-two from each of these counties without regard to any particular city or village therein.

The gratuitous use of the school with all its apparatus and facilities of every kind was tendered the Legislature, for the purpose of qual ifying suitable persons for teaching the practical application of the experimental sciences to agriculture, the arts, manufactures and domestic economy. There had been expended within seven years by the Founder over $18,000 in making trials to ascertain the best and most economical method of teaching the practical application of experimental science, and extending it to the laboring part of community, and in searching out the natural resources of the State. The collections and library were valued at $3,615 and the real estate $1,348, making with recent additions $5,009. The free use of a large brick building, formerly used by the Farmers' Bank, was also offered, with several wooden buildings then occupied by the school.

This application was referred to the Regents, and on the 11th of March, 1828, they agreed upon a lengthy and highly favorable report. They say:

"The Sciences taught in the Rensselaer School are immediately connected with agriculture and arts, and are considered indispensable to the successful prosecution of the great branches of manufacturing labor in wool, cotton and iron, which the nation has embarked in and upon the success of which the prosperity of our State is materially involved. The plan of instruction is new, and in the opinion of the committee, perfectly efficient and highly commendable. By putting the pupil in the place of the Professor he necessarily acquires a knowledge of the principles of the science on which he lectures;