Melbourne bot. & zool. Garden,
28. May 61.
Sir
I have the honor to solicit, that you will be pleased to take under favorable consideration the propriety of conceding to members of Parliament the priviledge of obtaining, if desired by them, occasionally a supply of such plants as can very conveniently be spared at the botanic Garden; for it appears, that the arduous duties devolving on the honorable members of Parliament justly entitle them to such small recognition of their labours,1 as an establishment like that under my charge, can so readily aford.2
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
your most obedient servant
Ferd. Mueller.
The honorable the Chief Secretary.
Before the passage in 1870 of the Act 'to provide for reimbursing Members … their expenses in relation to their attendance in Parliament', members were not paid. The Act (34 Vic. 383) provided a payment of £300 p.a. for members of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly. For M's comments on the effect of payment of members on his own position, see M to J Hooker, 6 November 1873.
On 1 June 1861 Heales minuted: 'I trust that any reasonable request for Plants [&c] by members of Parliament will always receive favourable consideration, but I object to any special notification being made in their favour. I have been of opinion that they with others have received the privilege of obtaining Plants from the Gardens.' Heales's minute was forwarded to M who returned it on 6 June 'with thanks for information received'.
Please cite as “FVM-61-05-28,” 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