To Clement Hodgkinson   30 April 1867

30/4/67.

My dear Sir

Amidst much business I receive your kind note of the 27.¹ Let me briefly at once reply to it. The expense for iron fences, buildings &c in the botanic Garden was defrayed certainly by the public works Department, but out of special votes set apart for the Garden & charged to the Garden in any parliamentary return. There is only a short line of divisional iron fence from near my Office to the Yarra which was paid out of a vote for public works in general & for this a return was made by the removal of the fences placed once circularly at the crown of the ridge. The water pipes, drain pipes gutters &c were altogether paid out of my own votes . In reference to your election on the Acclimation Council an other member at once when your name was mentioned remarked that it would be a matter of consideration whether so many Government officers should have the administration of the affairs of the Society. I never said anything on the subject until then, but saw the force of the argument at once and said, that it might be best that some of those oldest members of the Council retired which were connected with Government institutions "that thus new blood might be infused" & I pointed out also that I feared as the meetings were held so early in the afternoon the attendance of members of Council otherwise engaged in public service could perhaps not readily be expected; at least I found it very difficult to leave my office half past 2 to be in time for the meeting or to continue to stay long to share in the deliberations & that one of the principle reasons of my staying on the Council was simply the desirability of my former experience here among the animals & my professional information on a variety of subjects should not be lost. If you think that I had any hostile intentions towards your special election I assure you I disclaim these fully & if you feel displeased with the sentiments expressed you will kindly remember it did not originate with me. You must kindly remember also that already 6 Government Officers are on the Council & if you reflect without any personal feeling on the principles of the Constitution of such Society I think it is much better to have a large majority of private members. I assure you I will be very happy to withdraw from the Council, though I have now since 1858 been closely identified with its labors, in order that the number of Officials on it may become less, especially as the view was expressed before me by an other Gentleman & of this I am certain, that no one would with more zeal fill the position thus vacated than yourself. In the Council we do not vote but openly. Assuredly the freedom of an expression of opinion on a principle must be conceded! Will you kindly name the Gentleman, who informed you on this subject, that I may learn how they possibly could have taken objection on my open course of action & that of the Gentleman who independently expressed before me the same opinion. I felt much honored with the election of trustee for the Royal Park, a position I did not seek, but if you think that holding it, such will impede my independence of opinion as a principle in the Council or elsewhere I will at once give up the position and state the reasons why under such circumstances I shall feel compelled to do so.

Let me assure you, that the present differences will make no alterations in the feelings of esteem, which I manifested publicly years ago in one of my works for you.²

Yours very truly

Ferd Mueller.

Clem Hodgkinson Esq.

Postcript.

I suggested for the benefit of Gov. Officers on several occasions that the hours of meeting of the Council of the Acclimation Society should be not in the afternoon but in the evening