June 26th [186]71
Sir
I have the honor by direction of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society to bring under your notice the fact that large numbers of disorderly people are in the habit of assembling at the Society's gates in the Royal Park nearly every Sunday for the [affirmed] purpose of listening to certain preachers who are in the habit of coming to that spot.2 As this practice tends greatly to the annoyance of visitors of the gardens and as the police have no force to interfere unless an actual breach of the peace takes place the Council of the Acclimatisation Society would suggest that a meeting of the Trustees be called and that they be asked to request the Board of Land & Works to gazette a rule forbidding the practise of preaching there. I enclose a copy of the rules at present in force.3
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most Obedt Servant
Geo Sprigg
Scy4
To Dr Mueller F.R.S.
Hony Secretary to Trustees of Royal Park
&c &c &c
editorial addition.
See Argus, 25 February 1867, p. 5, for a description of a 'camp meeting' of the Primitive Methodist Church attended by between 100 and 200 people 'of which the majority were females'.
The desired rule was recommended to the Government in M to J. Grant, 2 July 1867, but it was not until 1870 that a clause was inserted into the official rules.
Secretary.
Please cite as “FVM-67-06-26a,” 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