To John O'Shanassy1    11 February 1859

Melbourne botanic & zoologic Garden,

11. February 1859.

Sir

I have the honor to solicit, that you will be pleased to permit me, to expend the sum of £120 one hundred and twenty pounds Sterling as travelling fund during the year 1859 and that from this sum the expenses also may be defrayed, which Mr Dallachy incurred during his botanical journey to the Murray and Darling, which altho' extending over a space of seven month have been kept (transit of collections, use of mail coach and Steam passage included) within the sum of £40, as I have not allowed hotel and other personal expenses to be charged to the public fund. Some of these expenses have been incurred by Mr Dallachy in 1858, but the bills were on account of his remoteness from Melbourne not by him produced until his return within the last days. A journey likewise to the Alps, which I undertook during the last weeks of the previous year and the first weeks of this year has caused expenses of about £10 in conveyance fees, which were partially incurred last year, but could not be brought in until after my return.

In soliciting that the above sum may be placed at my disposal I beg to refer to the schedules of estimates, which I had the honor of laying before you on the 15 July 1858, in which an item of 120£ was provided for travelling expenses so absolutely necessary for the promotion of this establishment, and which item I believe is condensed now in one of the others of this Department's estimates. The votes of tools and labels (£370) if economically employed will bear the reduction of £120 for a transfer of travelling expenses.

I beg further to solicit, that the sum of £80 eighty pound from the vote of wages may be granted under a separate Number of authority for settling those accounts, which arise from smaller repairs, ferriers works, signwriting, making of seats and other articles, which cannot well be charged to the daily labourers fund nor be carried out through the office of public works.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient & humble servant

Ferd. Mueller2

1
MS written by Carl Wilhelmi and signed by M.
2
On 15 February 1859 the Under Secretary, J. Moore, referred M's letter to the Treasurer, G. Harker, commenting: 'As these appear to be continuous services not completed till after the commencement of the present year it is presumed the Honble the Treasurer will not object to them being paid for out of the Vote for 1859'. Harker replied on 19 February: 'The a/c may be paid out of the vote for 1859'.

Please cite as “FVM-59-02-11a,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 20 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/59-02-11a