11/5/70.
Will you do me the favor, dear Mr Odgers, to let Sir James MacCulloch have an insight into the appended letter1 of one of my oldest employees. I am sure, that after becoming acquainted with the contents of this letter, the honorable Gentleman will not inflict on my establishment the injury of continuing the services of the person to whom this letter alludes.2
your very regardful
Ferd. von Mueller
See D. Coller to M, 11 May 1870.
William Smith had written to the Chief Secretary requesting reinstatement; see W. Smith to J. McCulloch, 9 May 1870 (in this edition as M70-05-09). Odgers minuted to M on 13 May 1870: 'The Chief Secretary desires me to say that he cannot now go into this matter wh happened three years ago & should have been dealt with then'. M in turn minuted the file on 17 May: 'I beg respectfully to submit, what probably has been overlooked by the hon. the Chief Secretary, that W. Smiths case was dealt with four years ago, when he was no longer countenanced in the bot. Garden and forbidden to reappear on this side of the river, he being only — and it was supposed temporarily — kept in the ground now occupied by the friendly Societies, until recently, when against my wish he came to the reserve on this side of the Yarra. His coming now again and borne out by authority will place the Director and several Employees quite in a false position, and will have a very ill effect on the subordination in the establishment. As this man was for more than one year here not employed, while he was Superintendent of the Royal Park and was quite anew engaged by feelings of charity of my own, before he had committed himself, I beg respectfully to submit, that the hon the Chief Secretary will consider the point of real seniority of this man, more particularly as W. Smith was last year already discharged in writing by the honor. J. M. Grant, and as the continuance of this man here would displace men, far superior in close application to work, quiet and obedient conduct and faithfulness to the responsible Administrator. Perhaps the honorable the Chief Secretary would with his powerful influence secure a small competency to this employee elsewhere, an act on which the Director would look as one of especial favor.' Odgers replied with a further minute on 23 May: 'The Chief Secretary sees no reason to alter his previous instructions'. Previous instructions not found, but McCulloch had ruled in Smith's favour; see W. Odgers to M, 26 May 1870 (in this edition as 70-05-26a).
Please cite as “FVM-70-05-11a,” 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