Ferdinand von Mueller

On 23 July 1864 the Secretary to Government, Madras, wrote to the Chief Secretary, Melbourne, requesting a supply of seeds of different forest trees indigenous to Victoria; the costs of collecting and shipping the seeds were to be paid by the Madras Government. The Under Secretary of the Chief Secretary's Department, J. Moore, referred the file to M on 12 September 1864. M had been informed by the Governor that £30 was available (see acknowledgement on M to H. Warde, 27 August 1864) and requested the necessary financial advance in M to J, McCulloch, 9 September 1864. M to J. McCulloch, 12 September 1864, announced that seeds of 'Blue Gum' were ready to send.

On 7 January 1865, the Under Treasurer, E. Symonds, wrote to McCulloch reminding him that a sum of thirty pounds was paid to M for the purchase of seeds for the Government of Madras: 'I am to request that you will be so good as to cause Dr Mueller to produce vouchers of his expenditure of this sum'. M's letter is a response to the request by the Under Secretary, J. Moore, who asked on 17 January: 'Can Dr Mueller conveniently comply with this request?'

Further minutes show that Moore asked the Treasurer on 25 January what to do with the money in M's hands, and that Symonds replied for the Treasurer on 26 January: 'I would recommend that the money be allowed to remain in the hands of the Government Botanist until the end of March — he will then perhaps have completed his purchases and be able to adjust'. Moore drew M's attention to this recommendation and M minuted in reply on 3 February: 'As arrangements are entered into to obtain the now ripening seeds I shall not fail to furnish the adjustment required by the end of March next'

For further dealings with the advance, see M. to E. Symonds, 20 May 1865 (in this edition as 65-05-20b) and notes thereto, and M to E. Symonds, 1 June 1865.