The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-08
.IO PRESERVE RELICS
And Monuments of the Past
Is a Public Concern
MOST NOTABLY IN FRANCE
Government jealousy Guards
All Things Historic,
MOST NOTABLY IN FRANCE

Paris, which has done more than any
other European city to preserve histori-
cal monuments, is always a leader
among cities in official action, and as a
municipality leaves little to individual in
itiative. 1t should be said, first, that a
national law was passed in France in
1887 requiring the minister of public in
struction and fine arts to classify all
such immovable objects as it would be
TO the national interest to preserve. The
! classes settled upon were three: % an
Gent or classic remains; 90 medieval,
renaissance, and modern buildings and
| ruins; 80 megalithic remains; and it was
found that some $500 monuments were
| comprised in these three classes. The
minister was not to make his classical
| ton without the consent Of the private
owners Of the property or Of the public
department or establishment to which
| it belonged; but if a person should de-
cline to allow the examination of his
property for classification, the minister
had the right to purchase it, on behalf Of
the state by condemnation proceedings.
And an historic monument once classified
cannot be touched without the consent of
the minister of public instruction.
If, the law added, remains Of value
should be found in the course of exca-
walton, the local authority was to see to
their temporary preservation, and the
minister of ublic instruction might buy
them compulsory" should they be on
private lands. In his work Of classify
ing, the minister was to be assisted and
advised by a commission of historic
monuments. This had been in existence
for fifty years, and was composed in the
main of leading officials connected witt
fine arts museums and public buildings.
In 1879, eight years before the passage
of this law but not before discussion Of
some of its features, the city Of Paris
established a commission known as the
committee Of Partisan inscriptions. 1t
had a very distinguished membership,
each of the men composing 1T having
made local archaeology a special study.
Established with the view of perpetu-
ating the remembrance of historical deeds
interesting to Paris" this commission
was authorized to address to the project
of the Seine any position which it
thought suitable, and, on the other hand.
was require to study such questions as
the project Of the council might ad-
dress to it.
Two years later a second commission
was established by prefectorial decree.
hp doc
Historques and had for duty the SUPER
vision and direction of such works as aim
to record the general history of Paris.
1t seems a novel task for city govern
ment to take up; but while the commits
sion was, of course, official only six out
of its twenty members were to be necs-
sarily concerned in the government of
Paris.
1t was felt that there was still room,
however for further effort, of a more
thorough and aggressive nature, and on
December g, 1897, the project issued a de-
cree organizing a third commission for
the conservation of local history. This is
the Commission du Vieux Paris, now so
prominent. Its forty members include
several from the other commissions of
history, several members of the munich
pal council officers Of voluntary citizens.
members of the academy and Others 1t
has divided its work between three sub
committees. The duty of the first, which
contains fifteen names, is described to be
the making 'of an inventory of all that
has been shown by historians to be i'm
portant, and the seeking out of that
which is likely to be forgotten" with
power to propose measures for the pres
ervation of things which it would be pos
sible to save but which otherwise were
destined 10 destruction. A second sub
committee, composed of twelve members,
looks after excavations, demolitions.
dwellings, and such changes of line as
modify the topography of Paris and men
ace her monuments The duty OF the
third Subcommittee is the preservation
for memory, by photography or other ar
tistic means. of the appearance of pic
turesque parts of Paris that are destined
- rapid disappearance These illustra-
tons it is understood, shall go to the
Carnavalet museum. Each member of
the commission has a card which gives
him access to any part of the city where
things of historic interest may be seen.
Engineers and architects are directed to
notify it Of excavations or other import
ant works. and historic discoveries of any
kind are reported to il. Every month
there is 4 meeting Of the full commission
to hear reports Of the work of sub-com-
m!ttees. and the full minutes of each
meeting are published in pamphlets that
are illustrated, and are Of themselves Of
No value.
10 N-4
for preserving local records in Paris. In
addition there are some smallr ones
which have as their special duty the man
agement Of the library and the historical
collection Of documents relative to the
city's history at the time Of The revolu-
ton. The library and Carnavalet muse
UNI represent the storehouses inevitably
required for the preservation and exhibit
ton Of the many treasures secured. In
the library there has been gathered the
amazing number of something ike hun
dred thousand volumes. and as many
more charts and enSravings. all illustra-
tive Of the history Of Paris and the rev.
olution; while the Carnavafat museum.
mere explicitly known as the Historical
Museum Of the City" is housed in a
fascinating sixteenth century mansion.
long the residence Of Nine. &c SeviEne. /
and now in its careful restoration a most
interesting relic itself
Il has seemed worth while 70 note with
special care what Paris does TO preserve
records OF local history. not only because
Il does 50 much and in one direction or
another typides the work OF other cities.
but because Paris IS 50 distinctly the
leader among French municipalities Her
third commission. which i the more elab-
n-a-. ana uhlch - H. .---.-..-.-- ..--,.