6 August [1861]1
Sir,
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd Instant, requesting the attendance of a Constable to protect the trees in the Domain.
In reply I beg to inform you that owing to the absence of a large number of Constables at Woodend &c, engaged in guarding the railway works in that neighbourhood,2 it is not in my power to give you the services of a Constable at present. The matter however shall not be lost sight of, and as soon as possible [...]3
out your request, and Superintendent Freeman has been requested to give the subject his attention.
My absence from town prevented me from replying to your letter at an earlier date.
I have the honor to be
Sir
your most obed servant
Fredk C Standish
Dr Mueller
editorial addition; year determined from M's letter (M to F. Standish, 3 August 1861 (in this edition as 61-08-03b)), to which this is a reply.
Grievances over wages between the labourers and the subcontractors building the railway, developed into riots ('Railway riots', Argus, 31 July 1861, p. 5); Standish arrived with mountain troopers on 31 July (Argus, 1 August, p. 5, col. a). For commentary see 'The railway riots', Argus, 6 August 1861, p. 5.
some text illegible.
Please cite as “FVM-61-08-06,” 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