THE COUNCIL. 5 



fringing on the rights of subscribers, and without endangering 

 the comfort and good order of the estabhshment, the public 

 were gratified, and the funds of the Institution benefited 

 to the extent of d£*40. For this proceeding, under the pecu- 

 liar circumstances of the case, the Council has no doubt 

 that the Meeting will fully accord their approbation, and 

 it appears desirable that, for the future, the discretionary 

 power of the Council in such matters should not be abridged : 

 it is however for this Meeting to decide whether any further 

 directions are required. * 



The Musical Festival produced to the Society the honour 

 of a most gratifying visit from Their Royal Highnesses 

 THE Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria, who, 

 after examining all the collections with attention, inscribed 

 their names as Patronesses of the Yorkshire Museum, and 

 contributed a munificent donation for the augmentation of 

 the Library. 



In the Antiquarian department some valuable additions 

 have been made during the last year. Mr. J. R. Mills has 

 presented to the Society a curious Egyptian tablet, obtained 

 from the collections of the late Mr. Salt. From Mr. Swineard 

 have been received some beautiful remains of an altar screen, 

 in stone, found buried in a garden near the western end of 

 the Minster : and from the City Commissioners, the stones of 

 a fine arch nearly entire ; a part, it is probable, of the 

 Hospital of St. Peter. But among the various additions 

 to this department of the Museum, the mortar formerly be- 

 longing to the Infirmary of St. Mary's Abbey, must be 

 regarded as of peculiar value. This curious relic, which 

 having been lost from York soon after the days of Drake, 

 appeared again several years ago in a foundry at Birmingham ; 



* The Meeting resolved that strangers not introduced by a member 

 or by written order, might be admitted by Tickets, to be provided by 

 the Council, and sold under their direction at one shilling each. 



