^{page 20 note 1} An interesting and instructive paper on “The Dispersion and Destruction of Historical Records during the War” was read by Professor C. H. Firth, then President of this Society, before the British Academy on December 12, 1917.

^{page 23 note 1} Since this communication was made, the Council of the Royal Historical Society has arranged for the publication of a Repertory and Directory of English Archives which is now in the press, edited by the Director, with assistance from the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary, and several post-graduate students of the University of London who are also Fellows of the Society.

^{page 32 note 1} The Guide referred to above has been compiled by the author of this Paper.—H. H.

^{page 36 note 1} Since these notes were written, a further portion of the Panton Collection has been acquired and presented to the Library by the Rt. Hon. J. Herbert Lewis, M.P. It consists mainly of letters and other documents dealing with Welsh affairs between the years 1580 and 1660 (from the Gwydir papers), and some documents of the eighteenth century which formerly belonged to John Williams of Beaumaris, a diligent antiquary well known in his day. The collection comprises over 3000 documents.

^{page 40 note 1} Communicated, in a letter to the Director, by Monsieur Charles Béemont, Hon. D.Litt. Oxford, Hon. LL.D. Camb., Member of the Institute, Director of the École des Chartes, Paris, Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

^{page 41 note 1} Read before the Society by Madame L. Re-Bartlett, December, 1918.

^{page 46 note 1} In the interests of historical justice, which we Italians claim to have in fact influenced all Italy's action in vindication of national rights, the reader is referred to the following official communication which appeared in all Italian newspapers under the date of June 20, 1919:—

“The Special Mission charged by the Supreme Command with the task of regaining possession of all records and historical documents belonging to Italy and her redeemed provinces preserved in the Archives of the defunct Austro-Hungarian Empire, has obtained the restitution of a numerous series of important documents pertaining to the Senate of Lombardy-Venetia, containing the records of political trials from 1821 onwards, and also other political papers belonging to the Military Authorities of Udine and Verona. This has been the result of an agreement arrived at with the Directors of the Archives of Vienna, who have given official recognition to the generally admitted principle that Archives should be left in their entirety in the offices and institutes in which they have gradually accumulated in the course of the historic development of their function.

“ The recognition of the above principle—the principle of the territorial character of all records—offers a new proof that Italy in her claims for those treasures, historic or artistic, which belong to her, is following standards based exclusively on scientific reasons and universal justice—standards which justify themselves.”

One example of the importance, also political, of the restorations so far effected, has been already afforded by A. Louzio, the well-known historian of the “ Risorgimento,” who has published a volume on I processi politici di Milano e Mantova (1851–53) restituiti dall' Austria; Milano, Cogliati, 1919.

^{page 47 note 1} In separate communications the Director has learnt that Cardinal Gasquet is now hard at work on the great mass of Vatican Archives carried off by Napoleon I, and restored in 1818 since which date they have remained wholly unarranged and even unpacked. In his present communication the Cardinal reports progress with this work and refers to the future value of this source of information.

^{page 49 note 1} Memorie istoriche degli Archivi della Sede, S., Roma, 1825.Google Scholar