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From Ferdinand von Mueller to John Macadam   15 Apr 1862

Melbourne botan Garden

15/4/62.

My dear Doctor.

At the commencement of a new session of the Council of the Royal Society, I feel it incumbent on me to state, that arrangements, into which I have entered with the President of the Linnean Society for aiding him in the elaboration of an universal Australian Flora render it impossible for me to accept the honor again co[nferred] on me by [...]1 reelection into [the] Council of the Royal Society of Victoria.

In tending therefore my resignation, I consider, that it would be unjustifiable for me to retain my seat in the Council, unless I felt persuaded, that I could withdraw from special professional labours that amount of time proportionate to the duties, which as a member of the Council I am expected to perform.

[...] convinced that my leisure hours will be extremly limited for a long time to come, it would be wrong on my part to occupy one of the few seats in the Council, when thereby naturally the services of an other member, which will occupy my place, would be lost.

I therefore tender my resignation as a member of the Council of our Royal Society, but beg to express simultaneously an ardent wish, that the Society, which now many years [ago] [...] aided in forming [...] continue its important labours successfully and with renewed vigour.

Very regardfully

dear Doctor,

yours

Ferd. Mueller

Dr. J. Macadam, M.L.A.

Hon. Secr. Roy. Soc. Vict.2

1

illegible — obscured by a stud through the MS. Square brackets elsewhere in this letter have this meaning.

2

See also M to W. Stawell, 15 April 1862 and M to W. Hooker, 24 April 1862 (in this edition as 62-04-24f).

Please cite as “FVM-62-04-15b,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/62-04-15b