Saturday1
Allow me the pleasure, dear Professor Pearson, to offer you my best gratulation to your access to parliamentary honors, and let me hope that your achievement will have a ministerial position in its sequence.2 It is a source of confidence to me, that so enlightened and learned a man as yourself will now share in the labours of Parliament & also probably the Cabinet; and I cling to the hope, that you will in a scientific spirit be able to resuscitate now at last also my Department.
I intended to have called at your residence, for some time, but did not like to disturb you, while the parliamentary candidature must have greatly absorbed your time.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
MS is associated with an envelope. addressed on the front: 'Professor Pearson, M.A., M.L.A. | East Melbourne | Ferd. von Mueller' and post stamped: 'MELBOURNE | 2 R | JE 10 | 78'. The letter is therefore dated to 8 June 1878, the Saturday before the postmark.
Pearson was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the member for Castlemaine on 7 June 1878. He was minister without portfolio, 1880-1, and Minister of Public Instruction, 1886-90.
Please cite as “FVM-78-06-08,” 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