No 1870
Karlsruhe den 19. Sept. 1879.
S. K. H. der Grossherzog lassen dem Gr. Staatsministerium gnädigst mittheilen, dass der englische Regierungs-Botaniker Baron von Müller in Melbourne (:Neuholland:) der Gr. Gartendirektion zur Ausschmückung der Gewächshäuser des botanischen Gartens dahier 3 werthvolle Baumfarrenstämmme zum Geschenke gemacht hat.
S. K. H. beabsichtigen diese Schenkung durch eine Ordensverleihung zu verdanken und lassen desshalb das Gr Staatsministerium gnädigst veranlassen, über die persönlichen Verhältnisse des Baron v. Müller Erhebungen anzustellen, um darnach bemessen zu können, welcher Ordensgrad für denselben in Vorschlag zu bringen ist.
Gr. Geh. Kabinet.
[…] Sternberg.1
No. 1870.
Karlsrühe, 19 September 1879.
His Royal Highness the Grand Duke graciously informs the grand-ducal Ministry of State that the English Government Botanist, Baron von Mueller in Melbourne (New Holland) has made a present to the grand-ducal Garden Directorate of three valuable tree-fern trunks for the adornment of the glass houses of the botanical garden here.2
His Royal Highness intends to acknowledge this gift by the conferring of an order and therefore graciously induces the grand-ducal Ministry of State to enquire into the personal circumstances of Baron von Mueller's ennoblement in order to gauge which rank in the order is to be proposed for him.3
Grand-ducal Privy Cabinet
[…] Sternberg
Friedrich August Johannes Paul, Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg (1817-1895), President of the Grand-ducal Cabinet.
See M to C. Mayer, 20 February 1879.
The file includes a letter from Adam Albrecht at the Grand-ducal Court Treasury, dated 3 September 1879, which, after noting that M 'hegte ... noch den Wunsch, mit einem Grossherzoglichen Orden decorirt zu werden' [still wishes to be decorated with a grand-ducal order], formally notified the Grand-ducal Privy Cabinet of the Grand Duke's decision to decorate M with such an order and thus initiated the necessary official action.
M was awarded a Knight’s cross, 1st class with oak leaves, of the Order of the Zähringer Lion on 10 October 1879; see Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden, to M, 10 October 1879 (in this edition as 79-10-10b). For discussion in Friedrich's Court about the effect of the British rules on acceptance of foreign orders, see also L. Turban to Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden, 30 September 1879 (in this edition as M79-09-30).
Please cite as “FVM-M79-09-19,” 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