Page:The Preservation of Places of Interest or Beauty, 1907.djvu/36

Commissioners of Works all such estate and interest in any ancient monument to which this Act applies as he may be seised or possessed of, and it shall be lawful for the Commissioners of Works to accept such gift, devise, or bequest if they think it expedient so to do.

5. The Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury shall appoint one or more inspectors of ancient monuments, whose duty it shall be to report to the Commissioners of Works on the condition of such monuments, and on the best mode of preserving the same, and there may be awarded to the inspectors so appointed such remuneration and allowance for expenses, out of money provided by Parliament, as may be determined by the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury.

6. If any person injures or defaces any ancient monument to which this Act applies, such person shall, on summary conviction, be liable, at the discretion of the court by which he is tried, to one of the following penalties; (that is to say,)

(1.) To forfeit any sum not exceeding five pounds, and in addition thereto to pay such sum as the court may think just for the purpose of repairing any damage which has been caused by the offender; or, (2.) To be imprisoned with or without hard labour for any term not exceeding one month.

The owner of an ancient monument shall not be punishable under this section in respect of any act which he may do to such monument, except in cases where the Commissioners of Works have been constituted guardians of such monument, in which case the owner shall be deemed to have relinquished his rights of ownership so far as relates to any injury or defacement of such monument, and may be dealt with as if he were not the owner.

7. Offences and penalties under this Act shall be prosecuted and recovered in manner provided by the Summary Jurisdiction Acts. The expression "Summary Jurisdiction Acts"—

(1.) As regards England, has the same meaning as in the Summary Jurisdiction Act, 1879; and

(2.) As regards Scotland, means the Summary Jurisdiction (Scotland) Acts, 1884 and 1881; and

(3.) As regards Ireland, means, within the police district of Dublin metropolis, the Acts regulating the powers and duties of justices of the peace for such district or of the police of such district; and elsewhere in Ireland, the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act, 1851, and any Act amending the same.

In England any person aggrieved by any decision of the court acting under the Summary Jurisdiction Acts may appeal to a court of general or quarter sessions.

8. The expression "The Commissioners of Works" means as respects Great Britain the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public