A YORKSHIRE NATURALIST 133 



purposes was not held until June 13, 1848. Some 

 deaths had occurred meanwhile among persons 

 named in the will, and the vacancies thus created 

 had to be filled up. A committee of five of the 

 members of the ruling body was appointed to con- 

 sider the general features which were to characterise 

 the new institution, both as regarded the subjects to 

 be taught and the plans to be adopted, in order that 

 such teaching should be most efficiently done. The 

 gentlemen entrusted with this task considered the 

 question of religious education. Their report was 

 finally agreed upon in 1849, an< ^ was issued to the 

 public in March 1850. This soon aroused a com- 

 motion, owing to the decision of the trustees to 

 adopt the views of the committee on the question of 

 religious teaching. They had concluded that no 

 educational movement should be carried on without 

 such religious instruction "as may elevate and 

 " strengthen the moral and religious character of the 

 " students, without encroaching upon the liberty of 

 "conscience, which the testator has so anxiously 

 " sought to protect." In a word, theological lectures 

 should be delivered in the college, attendance on 

 which by the students was to be voluntary. This 

 decision speedily led to active opposition in the 

 town. Both the Guardian and the Examiner and 

 Times attacked it, the latter newspaper especi- 

 ally being most energetic in opposing " the in- 

 " troduction of this theological wedge." On April 8, 

 1850, a meeting was held to consider whether 



