To Joseph Hooker   24 May 1866

24/5/66

 

My long report, dear Dr Hooker, for Parliament has during the political turmoil not been printed & as our houses of legislature will be closed for several months, it is not likely that the Document will appear before the end of the year.1 The colossal work in the horticultural branch during this til lately rainless season prevented me from doing botanical work of any extent. Hence I have little to offer this time.

To the honorable Geo Verdon, our Minister of finances, an influential & rising statesman & a dear friend of mine I have given a letter of introduction to you.2

Your regardful

Ferd. Mueller

1
M's report was never published and has not been found. There was a deadlock between the two Houses of the Victorian Parliament over a protectionist tariff added by the Legislative Council to an Appropriations Bill from the Legislative Assembly, ultimately resulting in the recall of Governor Darling by the British Colonial Secretary in August 1866. M's report was returned to him on 19 June 1866 for amendment at his request (see M to J. McCulloch, 2 June 1866 and notes thereto), and it may never have found its way back to the Chief Secretary's office.
2
Letter not found.

Please cite as “FVM-66-05-24b,” 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 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/66-05-24b