ROYAL RELICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 190, 21 November 1910, Page 8

ROYAL RELICS

INTERESTING GIFT TO NEW ZEALAND. While the Prime Minister was in London attending the Imperial Defence Conference in August last he received an offer of a number of interesting relics o£ Queen Victoria from Mrs. R. M. Maslin, Stratford-on-Avon, who desired, by presenting these relics to the Dominion, to mark her recognition of the offer of a Dreadnought to the Home Government. The articles presented by Mrs. Maslin, which have now reached New Zealand, are Royal.gifts to Mr. Stephen Maslin, who for sixtv years was in the service of 1 the Households of her late Majesty Queen Victoria and of her mother, H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent. An autograph letter by her late Majesty, which is included in the collection, is of special I interest. It was written in 1888, and expresses her Majesty's regret that Mr. Maslin was retiring from her Majesty's service, and stated that the event severed the last link with her childhood.

The relies, which number twenty-eight, also include a handsome gold watch, presented by Queen Victoria, medals, Royal autograph photographs, a portion of a wreath made by her late Majesty's own Hands, and also of a wreath from the Prince of Wales on the occasion of Mr. Maslin's death in 1891. There was a brief discussion in the House of Representatives the other evening as to where the gifts should be shown,

Mr. Russell (Avon) urged the claims of the Canterbury Museum. Mr, Colvin: The gifts should be sent to the West Coast. , The Premier said that a suitable acknowledgment of the gifts would be sent, and later the question as to where they should be housed would be settled.