Sir Edmund Antrobus, the owner of the land on which Stonehenge stands, has offered to sell it to the country, with some thirteen hundred acres of Jind surrounding it, for £125,000. Some people are indignant at what they consider the grasping character of the offer. They not unreasonably urge that Stonehenge is ready a national monument, and that Sir Edmund has no right because he owns the Tend 0 treat tas piece of personal property which he can sell or do what he likes with. On the other hand, if it belongs to Sir Edmund the price cannot be considered exorbitant, seeing the sums which are given for great' works of art and curiosities. Stonehenge was regarded as a marvellous work of hoary antiquity even eight indrad years ayo. Sir John Lubbock and other distinguished archrologists believe it to be quite 2,500 years old. There is much discussion as to whether the Government ought to accept the offer; but as to the desirability of the Government acquiring the world-famous relic on some terms as a national monument there are no two opinions.
26th August.
Taotais or prefects, the latter being strictly forbidden to put obstacles in the way of such memorials. Should it be hereafter discovered that our commands have been obeyed in this respect the guilty officials will be at once severely punished and no leniency will be shown to such as flagrantly abuse the trust we have reposed in them. Finally it is our urgent command that all Viceroys and Governors on receipt of this and yesterday's decrees shall proclaim the same throughout the length and breadth of their several jurisdictions in order that the whole Empire may know of the privileges granted to them.
14th September.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.