Where the people enjoy common rights and privileges, we call the government a republic. Every State in the American Union is a republic.

A pure democracy and our American Republic differs in this, that in the former, the citizens assemble in a body to make the laws, while in the latter, the people choose representatives to act for them. Both are governments of the people and derive their powers from them.

The form of government in each of the United States is represented by a written constitution. These constitutions are called the fundamental or political law. They are adopted as the agreement of the people-as the framework of the government—and limit the power of the various departments.

Any act of the Legislature or of any officer of the State which conflicts with any of the provisions of the constitution is invalid. Thus the people are protected against enactments and usurpation of power by their public servants.

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Questions-Are the forms of government the same in all countries? What is a monarchy? What is a democracy? What is a mixed government or limited monarchy ? What form of government has Great Brittain? What is a republic? What form of government have States of the American Union? Wherein consists the difference between a democracy and a republic? From whence do republics and democracies derive their power? By what are the forms of government represented in the several States of this Union? By what names are constitutions sometimes called? What is the object or purpose of constitutions? How do they protect the people?

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN—ADMISSION OF ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN AS STATES OF THE UNION-DIFFICULTY BETWEEN OHIO AND MICHIGAN.

The Territory of Michigan was organized in 1805. For sometime previous to that date it had belonged to and formed a part of the Northwestern Territory, and the present State of Michigan formed a single county. The seat of government was at Chilicottee in the present State of Ohio.

The Territory of Michigan then embraced all the country on the American side of the Detroit river, east of a north and south line drawn through the centre of Lake Michigan.

In 1818 Illinois was admitted into the Union, and all the territory lying north of that State and Indiana, was annexed to Michigan.

In 1836, Wisconsin, which formed a part of Michigan was organized as a separate Territory.

Just prior to the admission of Michigan as a State, a dispute arose between the people of the Territory and the people of Ohio as to the boundary line between that State and this Territory.

In 1835 the people of Michigan assembled in convention and framed a constitution for a State government, and petitioned Congress for admission into the Union, claiming as a part of her territory, the strip of country in dispute. Con gress however decided in favor of Ohio, and gave to Michigan, in lieu of the strip claimed along its southern border, about twenty-five thousand square miles of country, in what

is now know as the Upper Peninsula, and in 1837 admitted it as a State.

Questions-In what year was the Territory of Michigan organized? To what Territory had it belonged for sometime previous to that? Where was the seat of government? What did the Territory embrace when first organized? When was Illinois admitted into the Union? What Territory was annexed to Michigan in 1818? In what year was Wisconsin organized as a Territory? To what Territory did Wisconsin then belong? In what year was Michigan admitted into the Union as a State? What difficulty arose between the people of the Territory of Michigan and the people of Ohio in 1835, and how was it settled? How many square miles of territory was given to Michigan in lieu of that claimed on its southern border ?

ᏟᎻᎪᏢᎢᎬᎡ Ꮩ.

OF THE SURVEY OF THE PUBLIC LANDS-SUBDIVISIONS OF TOWNSHIPS AND SECTIONS.

The lands embraced within the territorial limits of Michigan, had been surveyed by or under the direction of the Surveyor General of the United States, before the State was admitted into the Union. The plan adopted in making this survey, was to draw two imaginary lines across the territory; one East and West, and the other North and South. The line running North and South was called the principal meridian, and the one running East and West was called the base line. The principal meridian commences on the South line of the State, between the counties of Hillsdale and Lenawee and extends to the Northern extremity of the State. The base line commences at a point in the Western boundary line of the State, between the Counties of Allegan and Van Buren, and extends East to the Eastern boundary of the State. In making the survey of Michigan, the territory was divided into townships six miles square, and these were subdivided into thirty-six sections, of a square mile each, the townships being numbered in regular order East and West of the meridian line, and North and South of the base line. Thus, where the meridian and base lines intersect and cross each other, the township next North of the base line, and next East of the meridian line would be called "township number one North, in range number one East," while the township next East of it would be, “ township number two East, in range number one North." The following diagram will aid in explaining this:

DIAGRAM

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

The sections contain six hundred and forty acres each, unless they are, as is sometimes the case, fractional. Sometimes a stream or a lake occupies a large portion of a quarter-section, and the part not so occupied we call "fractional." Sometimes in measuring the townships, the surveyors would, through 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 North-east