Melbourne botanic Garden,
12/2/63.
To Alderman Dr Eades.
&c &c &c
Dear Sir.
I beg to solicit your kind consideration for the bearer, John Smith, who was kindly permitted by the Gentlemen of the City Council to occupy a small booth at the Yarra next to the footbridge of the botanic Garden, and who has now been ordered to remove his little dwelling.1 Allow me state, that the occupant Smith, is a most orderly old man with a respectable family and has been (and is still) employed for many years in this garden and that I was favorable to his occupying by your & your colleagues permission the small plot of ground, as he can thereby exercise a better surveillance of the bridge built from the fund of my establishment (under a special vote) as otherwise could be the case & protect the spalier &c which the City Council was kind enough to add to it.
J. Smith avowes, that his children are prevented from nuisances and that every thing connected with his little place is kept in most proper order, and from what I personally observed I can give his decaration2 my support. If it possibly happened that at some uncontrolled moment the little children gave reason to offence, I hope you & your colleagues will overlook it, especially as I have given him a severe warning upon the subject. But this I can for certain state, that from the character of the man and his family and from all what I have seen in passing in my inspection walks so frequently the bridge never anything immoral or unlawful occurred at his place. I have requested J. Smith, in case the City Council will kindly revoke the pending order against him, to give at once his building a new coat of paint & remove everything unsightly, telling him at the same time, that should complaints against3 arise at future period, I could not again intercede in his favor.
Recommending the poor man on account of his large family, advancing age and orderly & trustworthy behavior to kind consideration
I remain, dear Dr Eades,
yours faithfully
Ferd. Mueller
Filed with M’s letter is one that Emma Mitchell wrote on 6 February 1862 to the Mayor: 'I have an Occupation Licence for a Refreshment Tent from Government in the Richmond Paddock near the Botanic Gardens, I find the times so bad their is not business enough for two places. One could supply all required. I am depending on the few thing I sell to get a living for my family, John Smith has £4.15 a week from Dr Mueller employed in the Gardens for himself and son and does not require to sell fruit to get his living though he has two places, a stand for Sunday on the Bridge and boys holding up fruit to every one passing. I was the first person got leave to sell near the Gardens, and now their are so many that my children and I are in deep want. I should not state this but your Worship wished me to do so, I shall leave it to your Worships judgment if this appears before the Council But Mr Fitzgibbon [E. G. Fitzgibbon, Town Clerk] advised me not to interfear' (Unit 731, VPRS 3181, Public Record Office, Victoria).
declaration?
again?
Please cite as “FVM-63-02-12,” 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