No Western Institution has had a more vigorous growth than this. It has an energetic and able Faculty, stands high in public estimation, is surrounded by an intelligent and rapidly increasing population, and at an early day will pass beyond the need of farther aid from the Society. The President of the College says, "We have every encouragement in the prosecution of our work. The standard of scholarship is rising steadily towards the point at which we aim. The influence of the College is evidently felt in the region around, giving correct views of the true character and value of a liberal education, and forming, and stimulating in the minds of many young men a desire to attain it."

Iowa College.

This institution is located at Davenport, on the banks of the Mississippi, opposite Rock Island. A Railroad bridge across the river at that point is in the process of construction, and the locomotive is already across the stream and moving westward. In consequence of changes in the city, the origi nal site and building have been disposed of, and a new site, consisting of ten acres, has been secured in the centre of the town, commanding an extensive view of the Mississippi on the south, and of the open prairie on the north, and presenting a landscape rarely exceeded in magnificence and beauty. The original proprietor of the town was a Catholic, and refused to dispose of the site most desired by the friends of the College, on the ground of opposition to Protestant Institutions. It is thought by many that he will ultimately endow a Jesuit College at that place.

The Trustees are now engaged in erecting a building of stone 48 by 80 feet, and three stories high, with a basementthe expense of which will be some $15,000. They have an agent now engaged in collecting funds in that State, the most of which as they become available will be expended upon the new building. With a view of affording increased facilities to students, a boarding-house has been erected, which is under the charge of one of the professors. Prof. Bullen, in applying for continued aid in behalf of the Trustees, says:

The College is manifestly making advancement. In addition to buildings, it has a library of 1,600 volumes, and an apparatus for illustrations in Chemistry, and Natural Philosophy. The students are orderly and studious, and several have the ministry in view. It is true that we are yet in our early minority, having but four alumni, but with all the labor inci

dent to the work of founding a College in this thriving State, we labor in hope; we believe that our labor will not be in vain in the Lord. We are confident of ultimate success. We beseech your Society to sustain us with a helping hand, till we have time to show, both by what we are doing, and by what we have done, to those whom the Lord has endowed with ample resources and generous hearts, that we are worthy of a full endow

ment.

The teachers are able, faithful, and laborious men, and great sacrifices have been made by the scattered friends of the College in that State, especially by Home Missionaries, who have not only toiled, but out of their own deep poverty have made liberal contributions. The first New School Presbyterian Church in that State was organized in April, 1838, and the first Congregational Church in the following month, and ten years since the estimated property held by all the professors of religion, connected with these two denominations, was only $250,000. Since that time there has been a large increase, but is not yet available to much extent for benevolent objects. In population the State is at the present time advancing with a rapidity almost unparalleled, even in the West. In 1836 it was 10,531, in 1840, it was 43,017, in 1850, 192,214, in the spring of 1854, 325,202. It is supposed to have exceeded half a million at the beginning of the present year, and the author of "Iowa as it is," gives it as his opinion that in 1860 that State "will be peopled by more than a million of hardy, energetic, and intelligent inhabitants." There is surely every motive to get our educational machinery at work, in the very infancy of such growing communities, and give it all possible vigor.

Wittenberg College.

President Sprecher writes:

We would gratefully acknowledge your helping hand during another year of our history as an Institution. It is by your aid that we have been enabled to sustain the operations of the College, while the work of founding it is in progress. During this year, Prof. Conrad had consented to undertake this work, but was prevented by ill health from accomplishing as much as was anticipated from his agency. Four individuals have been found, however, willing to give their bond for one thousand dollars each, with interest at the rate of 8 per cent. until the principal is paid. We hope to complete a Professorship of $10,000 by subscriptions of this kind. At the recent meetings of the Board, three of its most efficient members consented to devote themselves entirely for one year to the work of taking subscriptions and selling scholarships, and have entered upon their agency in different parts of our Territory. It is hoped that the result will be the accomplishment of the work of founding the Institution. We ask you to

continue your appropriation of one thousand dollars another year; after which, we think we will be sustained by our own Territory.

The ill health of Prof. Conrad, has induced him to resign his Professorship; and Prof. Essich has been added to our Faculty. The number of students during the year is 154. Not quite so large as last year. The diminution has, however, been entirely in the preparatory department; the College classes are larger than in any previous year. This has resulted from the circumstance that the union public schools of our city have for the first time gone into full and successful operation.

Heidelberg College.

The following communication will show the condition and wants of this Institution.

It has been made my duty to forward to you as Secretary of the Society, which has been aiding Heidelberg College, a report of the present state of this Institution, and an application for the renewal of the appropriation, received this year. You will please excuse all irregularities in this communication, as we have no report of your Society on hand, and are not furnished with any particulars in regard to it. Prof. E. V. Gerhart, our former President, has left us, having accepted a call from the Franklin Marshal College in Lancaster, Penn. and has not left us sufficient directions in regard to the Society.

During the last year, as I have already remarked, our College lost their worthy President, Rev. E. V. Gerhart. Rev. M. Kieffer, of Reading, Pa., has been elected his successor, but has not yet entered upon the Presidency, although he has formally accepted, and is expected to come in a short time. Owing to this vacancy the College could not make any progress, neither in the number of students, nor in endowment. Still the appropriation of five hundred dollars granted by your Society, has made it possible to call a fourth Professor, Rev. H. J. Ruetenik, who teaches the ancient languages and German. One hundred dollars of that appropriation have been used for the increase of the philosophical apparatus.

The number of students at present in actual attendance is very near one hundred, twenty-five of whom are preparing for the ministry. In the classical department there are fifteen students, eight of whom are in the Freshman class. This department has materially increased since a Professor of languages was called. And it is hoped that it will gradually become what it ought to be, although young men in the West at present take little interest in classical learning.

Since, however, the Professorship of Languages depends altogether upon the continuance of your appropriation, and could not be sustained otherwise, we would gratefully acknowledge, that we owe our progress in this direction altogether to your kindness. At the same time we hope that it will be sufficient to encourage and persuade you to continue the assistance; and may you be assured, that in this manner you will render a very valuable service to the cause of true and solid education, and to such a species of training of young men in general, and of young ministers especially, as will thoroughly discipline their minds.

You are at the same time aware, that Heidelberg College has an important mission to fulfil as a German Institution. German students here find a home. German Churches look to Heidelberg for faithful ministers and

missionaries. Already several young men, who were educated here, are laboring for the cause of Jesus amongst the Germans in Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio. And well may we say, that a merciful Father has owned Heidelberg College as an instrument of salvation for that unfortunate nation, which seemed to be almost rejected by Him some time ago. I may well say so, since I am a German myself, and since I am able to rejoice now at a prospect of better times.

May God incline your hearts in sympathy for our German brethren! May He enable you to see, that by aiding Heidelberg College, you will perform a lasting work in behalf of the evangelization of the Germans in this country. In behalf of the Faculty, H. J. RUETENIK.

Tiffin, Ohio, Oct., 5th, 1855.

Pacific University.

This Institution is located at Forest Grove, Washington Co. Oregon. The following application for continued aid has been received.

In thus renewing our annual request, we feel strongly reminded of past favors. The whole year as it passes, bears testimony to the wisdom as well as to the benevolence of your Society. If there is need of an elevated and elevating standard of education in Oregon; if there is need of raising upon our own soil classes of our own young men for public stations and professions, instead of depending upon exotics; if, above all, we would prepare young men of piety to supply the immense demand of the churches, then as much as all these interests are worth, so ought we to value your annual aid to our College. It is steadily subserving all these noble and holy ends. We class your Society with the A. H. M. Society, and A. B. C. F. M., and other kindred organizations. No Western college can exhibit and fulfil high aims without your or similar aid, as no corps of Missionaries can exist without such societies. While we feel that the more you rely upon the same Christian charity that supports them, the more will you produce Christian fruits among us. We rejoice that Western colleges are receiving a religious style, by those who build them up, since they are so much the surer to bear religious fruit. Our hearts in the distant West beat to the pulsations of your own. We trust our union to you shall continue long enough to imbibe completely your spirit and develope your character. During the week a class of six were examined for admission to the Freshman year. They have been taught wholly by our Faculty, and have passed an examination as critical and satisfactory as candidates for admission to Eastern colleges. We aim at thoroughness although we move slowly. The improvement of the young men in declamation, is a marked feature of the Institution. A more impressive fact is their moral and manly bearing. Several of them are professors of religion, giving us hope that they will become ministers of the gospel of Christ.

On the 22d inst., President Marsh was inaugurated to his office with the usual ceremonies. This, we suppose, is the first inauguration of the President of a college on the Pacific coast.

The lands of which we wrote you last year, have been for the most part secured to us by deeds or bonds. We are securing the subscriptions, which were to be paid by instalments, in notes.

Our Academy property, including building and lands, is worth at present

rates from $15,000 to $17,000. We sell slowly and realize our prices. This sum will probably be equally divided between the Collegiate Academical and Female departments of the Institution, as it was originally given for these three purposes. The Trustees have resolved to have three standing committees to attend to these departments. We regard the donations to the College proper, last year as worth from $12,000 to $13,000.

We conclude our application with the hope and prayer that many more intelligent and warm-hearted friends may be found to co-operate with you at the East and with us at the West in erecting and completing colleges and seminaries for the support of our nation, and the adornment and edification of the Church of Christ.

Oregon City, Aug 25th, 1855.

German Evangelical Missouri College.

This Institution is located some sixty miles west of the city of St. Louis, and about five miles from Washington, where the Pacific Railroad strikes the Missouri river, but on the opposite side of the stream. The location is not one which would have been chosen by this Board, but it was fixed by the Germans in reference to their own interests. The question of a change has been agitated in their Evangelical Conference; but the decision was against it, on the ground that they had been led to that point by the providence of God, and that the Institution had become identified with it in the minds of its friends, both in this country and in Europe.

Thus far the Institution has been chiefly a Theological Seminary. Its claims to aid were very fully set forth in the able Report of the Rev. J. C. Guldin, submitted at our last Annual Meeting. In the month of July last it was visited by the Secretary, whose investigations tended to confirm the statements and positions of Mr. G.'s Report.

The impression produced by all that he saw was, that the devotion of the conductors and friends of that Institution to the interests of Christian education, and their willingness to make sacrifices to build up their beloved Seminary, was not surpassed by the Puritans of New England when they commenced the work of founding colleges. This is especially interesting in a country where the multitude are carried away by material interests, and, forgetful of the higher wants of the mind and soul, lose sight of everything but the accumulation of wealth. The Institution, although located in the midst of slavery, is in no way identified with it, but in a