14 REPORT OF 



points where liberality would not only be honorable to its 

 character, but important to its success. The Society is 

 not insolvent, but it labors under a weight of debt which 

 is sufficient to depress its energy, and to stifle its exertions. 



Yet it does not follow that the Committee have risked too 

 much. They doubtless thought they saw, in the existing 

 subscriptions, a spirit of more importance than the actual 

 amount ; they thought they saw, in the liberality of the 

 Subscribers, a cordial approbation of the plan, and an 

 ORDER to execute it well. 



At this time last year, the current of the subscription was 

 suddenly stopped by a disaster which, in an unprecedented 

 degree, absorbed the attention, and called forth the vast 

 munificence of the County. Then, when the means had been 

 supplied of restoring the Minster to its former splendour, 

 the wants of the Hospital came to be known ; and those wants 

 were by an universal impulse immediately relieved, to an 

 extent which the .warmest friends of the charity could 

 scarcely have hoped. This it is of which a Yorkshireman 

 is justly proud, that whenever any public object is to be 

 achieved, there is always in the great community to which 

 he belongs both the will and the power to achieve it. Upon 

 THAT will and power the Council are not aware that there is at 

 present any rival claim. They beg leave, therefore, to submit 

 to the Meeting the importance of immediately adopting some 

 measure to revive the subscription, and by making the 

 necessities of the Institution known, to obtain for it the 

 assistance which it requires. The aid which has never yet 



