dignity of their natures, and of their rights and duties, as citizens of this great republic. FINALLY. There are other suggestions which press forward for consideration, in the discussion of a subject so vast in its relations to the welfare of man and the progress of society, but, the limits of this communication forbid their intrusion upon your notice at this time. Profoundly impressed, however, with the importance of popular education, to the safety, the strength and the progress of our free institutions, I earnestly commend its interests and its institutions to your paternal care and conscientious regard, fully believing that no subject is more worthy of the sympathy and the solicitude of an enlightened and Christian statesmanship. NORMAL SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. The following papers, comprising, I. The report of the president of the normal board, II. The report of the principal of the normal school at Winona, to the normal board, III. A report of the proceedings of the normal board, at its sessions during the year 1866, and, IV. The report of the treasurer of the normal board, from October 13, 1864, up to December 31, 1866, I submit in compliance with sec. XII of the act providing for the establishment of state normal schools. Respectfully, H. C. ROGERS, Secretary of the State Normal Board. : STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD. STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, To his Excellency, Governor Marshall: In my communication to the Governor a year since, I took occasion to show the rapid growth of the different departments of the normal school, under the able management of the experienced principal, Professor Phelps, aided by the corps of accomplished teachers in charge. There has been a large increase in the number of pupils the past year and a continued and an increasing interest in the school has been manifest throughout the whole state. Our rooms have been so crowded that we have been obliged to organize another department, in a building at an inconvenient distance from the other schools. The school cannot become larger until more ample and suitable accommodations are provided. The normal board have been convinced, for a length of time, that the true interests of the state demand that immediate provision be made to secure such accommodations, in order that the school be developed to a much larger sphere of usefulness. As the rapid growth of the school has been observed month by month, this opinion has become more and more decided, till at the presen time it is not and cannot be questioned by any one conversant with the requirements of a normal school. Many of the leading citizens of the state have visited the school the past year, and all, so far as we know, have approved, while many have been enthusiastic in their commendation of it, and regretted that no better accommodations had been provided. Encouraged by the appropriation made by the legislature last winter for this purpose, and fully convinced that the time had arrived, when the work should be commenced, the board, at their meeting in June last, unanimously approved of the detailed drawings of a normal school building, which were prepared by G. P. Randall, architect, of Chicago. These tracings had been obtained by a committee of the Board, appointed the previous year. After mature deliberation, the committee were directed to contract on as favorable terms as possible, for full plans, specifications, working drawings and elevations, to be completed in the shortest possible time, and that as soon as they were obtained the work should be commenced. This has been done, and on the 19th of October, the corner stone of the building was laid by your Excellency in the presence of a very large and deeply interested assembly and the work was continued as long as the weather permitted, the concrete and the basement walls as high as the first water table, being already laid. In my last report, the limit of expense of such a building as was thought to be necessary was placed at $75,000; and although the price of labor and materials has advanced more than twenty-five per cent. since that time, yet the experienced architect, Mr. Randall, in rendering his bill, based upon the per centage of the supposed cost, has made the estimate only $80,000. To those conversant with the expense of similar buildings, in other states, this sum would seem to be comparatively small. The state appropriated $5000 annually for the support of the school. This sum will not pay the salaries of the teachers, but it is fortunate that the excellence of the model schools, is such, that so far, the income from them, above their expenditures, has supplied this deficiency, serving thus a two fold purpose, not only of plac ing before the pupil-teacher the best arrangement of a school-room, and the best methods of governing and teaching a school but supplying a deficiency with no small saving to the state. Although the details of our financial matters will be given in full by the treasurer, M. G. Norton, Esq., it may be well to give a statement of the receipts towards defraying the expenses of a site and building for the normal school, and its present resource. RECEIPTS. Donations from the citizens of Winona Balance of state appropriation of 1858, $5,512 00 5,275 00 2,803 84 10,000 00 $23,590 84 EXPENDITURES. Paid for building site, $7,275 00 P'd for plans, foundation, material, &c, 8,273 56 $15,548 56 The entire value of the property of the state connected with the school at present is as follows: Value of site, foundation, and materials, Amount on hand to be used in building, School furniture, Library, $15,548 56 8,042 28 2,500 00 2,500 00 $28,590 84 The site of the building consists of two full blocks, Nos. 3 and 4, and the street between them, which has been vacated by the city, being a plat 300 by 670 feet. It is located centrally in the city, is convenient of access and yet sufficiently removed from the business portion of the town |