VALUABLE GIFTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 117, 19 May 1936, Page 5

VALUABLE GIFTS.

OLD N.Z. PAPERS. I UNIVERSITY BENEFITS. DONATION FROM ANGLICANS^ A valuable collection of old Xe-.v Zealand and British official papers relating to tlie early history of the colony has been made to the Auckland University College by the General Trust Board of the Diocese of Auckland. They formed part of the library of the late Archdeacon Henry Williams and the late Hugh Carlton, of Paknraka. On the motion of Mr. T. U. Wells, the chairman of the college council, which met yesterday, the thanks of the council are to bo expressed to the diocese. A letter expressing deep appreciation of the gift was received b}' the council from the professor of history, Professor James Rutherford. The papers, the letter said, were obtained through the good offices of Archdeacon W. J. Simkin. They included, inter alia, a large number of British Parliamentary Papers 011 New Zealand Affairs between 1845 and 18G5, some very early papers of the '40's, a large collection of Parliamentary Journals, Votes and Proceedings, appendices to the Journals anl other similar papers. Complete sets of papers were not at present available in the college library or the city library, and as the material was quite indispensable to good historical research work ou New Zealand the acquisition was of very great importance—the more so as it was unlikely that the college could contemplate the purchase of such material in the near future. Members of the council echoed Professor Rutherford's appreciation and the chairman added that it was gratifying to seo such an important body as tha diocese interested. The resolution of the diocese conveying the gift read:— "The board desires that these papers be handed over to the University College with a request that such duplicates as there may be timongst them which the city librarian would like to have shall be handed to him. The board also agreed that other duplicates might lie used for purposes of exchange with other universities for papers which would help to make more complete those copies kept at the universities. The board desires to make one stipulation, namely, that officials of the diocese or clergy desiring to do so may have access to those papers for reference on making application to the university authorities."