To Edward Symonds   1 February 1883

Melbourne,

1/2/83.

To the Undertreasurer.

 

Sir.

In reply to your query or memorandum N. 13741 I beg to inform you, that ever since the first Paris "Exposition" in 1854 all contributions of mine to the successive international Exhibitions were charged to the votes of my Department. Altho' on all occasions there has been a general vote from Parliament for the great Exhibitions, that vote was always required to cover the Office Expenditure of the Commissioners, freight, maintenance of the Victorian Court abroad &c, while each Government-Department was expected to defray the costs of their contributions and hand them over free to the Commissioners. In writing on the Voucher for the gigantic Todea-fern, for "the Amsterdam Exhibition" I merely wished to offer some explanation as regards this expenditure; as this explanatory note has given rise to a query, I would suggest that it be struck out. I beg to add, that these sendings of superb specimen-plants to the international exhibitions are in the interest of Victorian subsequent Exports. Thus a large trade has arisen in Victorian fern-trees of various sorts, after they were brought by me before the great fairs of the world.

I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant2

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Todea

1
See E. Symonds to M, 31 January 1883.
2
An attachment to the letter states: ‘Suggested - That the a/ct be paid - it is in schedule - and that the corr. be forwarded for the infm of the Commissioners of Audit after the a/ct had been paid. […] 3/2/3'. File is marked 'A/c to be paid R.G. 2/2/83'; 'a/c withdrawn J.H. 3/2/83'; '[initials illegible] 3/2'.

Please cite as “FVM-83-02-01,” 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 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/83-02-01