PRESERVATION OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS.
To THE EDITOR OF TEE " SPECTATOR:9 Si,—Irish archteologists and the public generally owe much to the Secretary of the Ulster Society of Antiquaries for drawing attention to the serious defects in the administration of "The Ancient Monuments Protection Act, 1882," as recorded in the Spectator of November 22nd.
In addition to the act of vandalism perpetrated by those entrusted with the carrying out of the provisions of this Act, as narrated by Mr. Milligan, many other instances could be given of the great want of intelligence displayed in preserving these relics of a bygone time. Dr. Joseph Anderson, of Edinburgh, and that veteran archwologist, Mr. W. F. Wake- man, of Dublin, have drawn attention with tongue and pen to the deplorable want of knowledge displayed at Inismurray, where the archaic character of the cashel—a pre-historic structure within which the early monastic settlement of the fifth century was established—has been completely destroyed.
The want of efficient supervision by a competent archa3o- logist, able to give directions to the workmen employed, is the real cause of the mischievous working of the Act. And this is in a measure accounted for by the parsimony of the Treasury in only allowing a sum of £50 a year to pay an Inspector. If the Government are badly served, or fail to get an Inspector at that figure, no surprise need be expressed.
A reference to a Parliamentary Blue-Book recently issued, "The Fifty-eighth Report of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland," shows that while for the year 1889-90 a sum of £150 was voted for the preservation of ancient monuments, only 21 7s. 6d. was actually spent by the
Commissioners entrusted with the administration of the fund, and the remainder went back to the Treasury.
It is, however, much better to find that practically nothing has been done last year, than that the ill-advised operations of former years had been continued. The time has evidently come when it behoves the Treasury to place the administration of this Act in more competent hands. There is no portion of Western Europe so rich in pre-historic structures and anti- quarian remains as Ireland, and none so sadly neglected.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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