To Charles Darling1    12 October 1863

Melbourne botanic Garden,

12. Oct. 1863

Sir Charles

I have the honor of informing your Excellency that his Majesty the Emperor of Austria has been graciously pleased to confer on me the knighthood of the Francis Joseph Order, the decoration of which was kindly caused to be transmitted to me by her Majestys Home Government and received by me through your Excellencys kindness this day.2

Altho' I learnt from your Excellency, that the Right Honorable the Minister of State for foreign affairs could not concede for reasons then pointed out the privilege of my accepting as an officer of her Majesty's Government the knighthood of the Legion of Honor, bestowed on me some time since by the Grace of the Emperor of the French, I nevertheless feel, that it would be a want of attention on my part, if I not at least made known to your Excellency as the Ruler of this part of Her majesty's dominions and as Head of the Government, whom I have the honor to serve, that this new token of grace from a high Sovereign was intended as an acknowledgement of my humble services in the cause of science.

I venture to convey this information less reluctantly to your Excellency since as yet the decision of their Graces the Duke of Newcastle and Earl Russell is not known, whether the recognition of the knighthood of Dannebrog, to which I was raised by the King of Denmark, my former Sovereign, could be recommended to the gracious consideration of her Majesty the Queen.3

Whilst it is far from me to wish to be intrusive in receiving formally on this occasion the wish of enjoying the favor of the recognition of the distinctions previously sought however highly I may prize them and however kindly my solicitation may have been recommended by your Excellency's predecessor to her Majesty's Home Government, I await your Excellency's command and beg to leave it entirely to your Excellency's consideration, whether the honor conferred on me by his Apostolic Majesty, the Emperor Francis Joseph, should under existing circumstances be formally rendered known to her majestys ministry of the British Empire.

I have the honor to annex the originals and principle documents connected with my nomination to the Austrian knighthood.4

I have the honor to remain

your Excellencys most humble and devoted

Ferd. Mueller.

 

His Excellency Sir Charles Darling, K.C.B.,

&c &c &c

 
Copies of two documents were enclosed with the above letter. See R. Apponyi to M, 4 August 1863 (in this edition as 63-08-04a), and T. Peithner von Lichtenfels to M, 17 July 1863.
A packet, received in the Foreign Office from the Austrian Ambassador, was transmitted to the Colonial Office on 6 August 1863 (National Archives, London, CO 309/65, f. 137). The packet presumably contained the decoration.
See M to H. Barkly, 14 July 1863. The Duke of Newcastle’s refusal of the request to accept the Danish award was transmitted to Darling on 24 October 1863 (National Archives, London, CO 411/8, pp. 107-8).
In Despatch no. 14, 22 February 1864, Darling wrote that 'Dr Mueller is strongly under the impression that a relaxation of the strictness of the Rule has been permitted in more than one instance, and cites the case of Sir William Hooker as one in which the acceptance of the distinction of the Legion of Honor has been allowed by Her Majesty. The only books of reference on the subject at present within my reach, certainly describe Sir William Hooker as a Knight of the Legion of Honor: but are not definite as to that distinction having been assigned to him under Her Majesty's sanction. I perceive too, that the honor is said to have been granted in 1855: and it is possible therefore, that it was accepted before the restrictive regulations referred to, which bear date upon the 10th May in that year, came into force.' The Foreign Office note to the Colonial Office advising that the request must be refused also pointed out that 'Dr Müller is entirely mistaken in supposing that the Rules in question have been relaxed in favour of Sir William Hooker or any other person' (National Archives, London, CO 309/70, f. 98).

Please cite as “FVM-63-10-12a,” 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 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/63-10-12a