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National Archives, London, CO 309/79, Victoria, original correspondence, vol. 3, despatches, May to August 1866, pp. 26-8, enclosure to despatch no. 4, (6943 Victoria) 26 May 1866. 66.05.20Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to George Carey, 1866-05-20. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/66-05-20>, accessed September 11, 2025
Melbourne botanic Garden
20/5/66.
Sir
I have the honor to express to your Excellency my gratitude for causing the despatches
from the right honorable the Secretary of State for the Colonies in reference to a
distinction recently conferred on me by the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin to
be placed before me.
1
See Friedrich Franz II
, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, to M, 9 November 1865; J. von Oertzen to M, 25 April 1866. The Despatch included notes of correspondence between the Colonial Office and the
Foreign Office, and was sent to Carey on 7 March 1866 (copy in National Archives,
London, CO 411/8, Victoria, despatches, August 1862-April 1866, f. 478).
I trust your Excellency will permit me to observe, that the Knighthood of the Order
of the Wends, to which the despatches more especially have reference, was conferred
on me by the Sovereign of the special country of my birth and early childhood as a
spontaneous and unexpected gift, and it cannot be otherwise but that such token of
remembrance from a Sovereign, by whose grandfather my parent was raised to distinguished
state-position in Mecklenburg
must be fascinating and dear to me.
2
M's father, Friedrich Müller, was appointed a Strandvoigt [customs officer] at Rostock
in 1818. See also M to Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 12 July 1889.
I was
not
aware that the transmission of the insignia of the order was made to Her Majesty's
foreign office,
and it has not been without some pain to me, that the rigor of the law, to which
however I willingly bow, necessitated the remission of the badge to His Royal Highness'
Ministry.
3
The enclosures to the despatch to Carey included a 'Copy of a Despatch recently addressed
by Lord Clarendon to Mr Lockwood in charge of Her Majesty's Embassy at Berlin, respecting
a Mecklenberg Decoration sent to this office for Dr Müller' (National Archives, London,
CO 309/81, Victoria, public offices, 1866, ff. 97-8).
Lord Clarendon had written to the Ambassador to Berlin on 17 January 1866:
Sir, With reference to Lord Napier's Despatch No. 325 of the 31st ultimo, explaining
the circumstances under which a Diploma conferring upon Professor Müller the Government
Botanist of Melbourne, the Grand-Ducal Mecklenberg Schwerin Order of the Crown of
the Wends was sent to the Under Secetary of State, and subsequently a Packet containing
the Decoration of that Order, I have to acquaint you that according to the established
Regulations of this Country no British Subject can be permitted to accept or wear
the Decoration of any foreign Order, unless it shall be conferred for active and distinguished
Service before an Enemy in the Field or at Sea, or unless he shall have been actually
and entirely employed, beyond her Majesty's Dominions, in the Service of the Sovereign
by whom the Order is conferred; and this Rule has been always held to apply to a foreigner
in the British Service, as well as to a British Subject. I therefore send back the
packet containing the Decoration, which you will return to the Grand-Ducal Govt. with
the above explanation; stating also that the packet containing the Diploma was forwarded
to its destination because it was sent to this Office without any intimation of the
nature of its contents. I may add that Professor Müller is perfectly aware of the
Regulations respecting Foreign Orders, as he has been informed of them in reply to
applications on his part respecting other Decorations offered to him. (National Archives,
London, CO 309/81 Victoria, public offices, 1866, f. 100).
Your Excellency will be pleased to learn, that the communication of your predecessor
in reference to my being created a Knight of St Maurice and St Lazarus by His Majesty
the King of Italy, in so kindly a spirit made to Her Majesty's Government, originated
neither directly nor indirectly from myself, but arose from a despatch of General
Marmora, Premier of the Italian Ministry sent to the Chevalier Biagi, the Representative
of His Italian Majesty in this country, and submitted without any inducement on my
part to Sir Charles Darling, whose urbanity and kindheartedness led him to communicate
the tenor of the Despatch to the right honorable Mr Cardwell.
4
See Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus to M, 12 August 1865; notes to that letter discuss the response to Biagi's intervention. See also M to
F. Parlatore, 25 November 1865.
I may further remark, that after a final refusal of her Majesty's Government to permit
me under existing regulations, to accept officially the Knighthoods so graciously
conferred on me by the Emperors of Austria and of France and the King of Denmark,
I did not even render known to Her Majesty's representatives in this country the circumstance,
that I had subsequently enjoyed a similar honor from the great and lamented Prince
Albert's illustrious brother.
5
Knight's Cross II. Class of the Ernestine House Order, bestowed on M on 5 January
1865.
Since however the despatches again refer to my position in reference to these orders,
I venture humbly to submit to your Excellency, that probably my precise position in
reference to these distinctions may require some further explanation.
In first instance than I would beg leave to remark, that I do not enjoy all the privileges,
to which a subject of her British Majesty is entitled, while on the other hand the
partial and quite local enjoyment of a British Citizenship precludes my acceptance
of foreign distinctions. As soon as I step across the border of this colony my Victorian
oath of allegiance to the Queen would no longer be of avail. Were I to travel in any
foreign country I would be no longer under British protection. Were I desirous as
a Colonist merely to enter Parliament here, I would be debarred from legislative functions
as a foreigner and entirely be regarded as such not withstanding my local naturalisation.
Yet I wish expressely to state to Your Excellency, that I treasure even this partial
admittance into her Majesty's community most highly, and cherfully sacrificed for
this partial admittance the great honors from several thrones.
Nevertheless it has impressed itself on my mind, that by the framers of the laws respecting
foreign orders it could never have been contemplated to debar men of science, who
earned rewards not for political services but alone by sharing inostentatiously in
scientific conquests, from enjoying those encouragements, which on their arduous path
they so much deserve. It is needless to point out, how great sacrifices socially,
financially and domestically must be incurred by any one, who by independent researches
widened the field of knowledge. My own sacrifices have during nearly
twenty
years most toilsome services in her Majestys vast Australian territory been so great,
that in justice to myself and in justice to the influence my researches will exercise
in futurity I feel the graceful gifts of the Imperial and Royal Donors were not entirely
unmerited.
As a scientific traveller in her Majestys Australian Continent I have seen more field
services than any other man unless Dr Leichhardt did not fall in the beginning of
his third expedition. My own lines of scientific travels amount to nearly 25,000 miles.
Nine volumes emanated from my office as independent publications, irrespective of
the aid I have afforded already of the work of the President of the Linnean Society
and irrespective of the many essays scattered through the journals of several nations.
6
George Bentham.
But I did not work for contemporaneous acknowledgements but with genuine promotors
of science I have been seeking my highest rewards in the consciousness of contributing
to the lasting knowledge of mankind. That however the gracious encouragement of a
Sovereign must under all circumstances be regarded as the highest recompense for material
losses, certain to be sustained on a path of science, remains ever true; and not the
less is it true, that if services which already had an extensively favorable reaction
on an existing generation are left unappreciated during the brief space of lifetime
of man, a vast impulse, which court-distinctions will give, is altogether withdrawn
and with it the encouragement, which such will set to the youthful and rising sons
of genius of any country and especially in a part of the globe where science for the
benefit of a vastly increasing and expanding population is expected to guide to treasures
and occupations otherwise concealed and dormant.
I have the honor to be in profound obedience
Your Excellency's
most regardful
Ferd. Mueller,
M.D., F.R.S.
His Excellency
General Carey, C.B., Governor of Victoria &c &c
In glancing over the names of that limited number of bearers of science, conjoint
in the union, over which Sir Isaac Newton once presided, I cannot but feel, that on
no one has fallen the preclusion from accepting honors, offered on foreign thrones,
with more severity than on myself. When a Civil Knighthood was accorded by her Majesty
to Sir Robert Schomburgk, and when the Companionship of the Bath was awarded to Dr
Barth,
the Governments of the native land of both my countrymen felt proud to acquiesce
in the justice and grace shown to those explorers by the British Government.
7
foreign thrones … Dr Barth is marked with a cross
in the margin.
Dr M.
20/5/66
8
Carey, in transmitting the letter to the Colonial Office, wrote:
'On looking over the Despatches addressed to His Grace the Duke of Newcastle by Sir
Henry Barkly, and Sir Charles Darling, I find there is little I can add to the testimony
already borne as to Dr Mueller's position as a man of science, and to his labours
as an Explorer — He is connected with upwards of fifty learned Societies in various
parts of the world, and his merits have been acknowledged by several foreign Courts.
I believe, however, that I may still state in the words of Sir Henry Barkly "that
he would value the slightest mark of the Queen's approbation of his labours more highly
than these titles and distinctions" [H. Barkly to the Duke of Newcastle, 17 July 1863,
National Archives, London, CO 309/63, despatches January to 11 August 1863, Despatch
no. 51, f. 476] and I therefore venture to hope that you will be pleased to favorably
consider the grounds on which his services could be recommended for reward by Her
Majesty the Queen' (G. Carey to E. Cardwell, 26 May 1866, National Archives, London,
CO 309/79, Victoria, original correspondence, vol. 3, despatches, May to August 1866,
f. 22, Despatch no. 4, 26 May 1866). M himself felt that he should have had an English
honour (see M to A. Petermann, 28 May 1866 (in this edition as 66-05-28b)).
A Colonial Office minute of 21 July 1866 to Sir F. Rogers on Carey's letter stated
that 'Dr Mueller has been refused permission to wear the Orders of several Foreign
Govts. which have been sent to him — It is now a question of some English honor. If
Lord Carnarvon thinks of entertaining this, the testimony of Sir H. Barkly & Sir C.
Darling can be collected. He has always been well spoken of personally & as a man
of science — & recently he has been the moving force of the expedition now searching
for Dr Leichhardt & his companions — or rather as to their fate.'
Rogers minuted the Despatch (23 July): 'I think I wd send this to the F.O. in the
first instance requesting to be informed whether [in any] previous letters on this
subject full consideration had been given to the fact that Dr. M. was only in a modified
[sense] a British Subject & whether the prohibition to wear an order applied to an
order conferred upon him by the Sovereign of the country of his birth to whom, if
he returned to that country, his allegiance wd [still] be due. If Dr M is really all
that he wd have us think his case is a [hard] one.'
A draft letter with the despatch indicates that on 31 July 1866 Lord Carnarvon requested
Lord Stanley's opinion on M's status as a 'modified' British subject and whether restrictions
applied to an order from his country of birth.
The Foreign Office replied on 3 August: 'I have laid before Lord Stanley your letter
of the 31st ultimo, inclosing Copy of a Despatch from the officer administering the
Government of Victoria, with a Copy of a representation from Dr Müller on the subject
of various foreign Decorations conferred upon him in acknowledgement of his scientific
labours. Lord Stanley directs me to state, in reply to the enquiry contained in your
letter, that with a Decoration conferred upon a foreigner, except under the circumstances
stated below, Her Majesty's Government have nothing whatever to do, either as to granting
or refusing permission to accept it, nor has such foreigner any occasion to solicit
the Queen's Permission for that purpose. But it has long been settled that if a Foreigner
obtains British naturalization, or accepts employment in the British Service, so as
to render it necessary for him to obtain the Queen's Permission to accept and wear
a foreign Decoration, his case must be governed by the same Rules as the case of a
British Subject. It would obviously be unreasonable that a naturalized foreigner in
the British Service should be placed in a better position in this respect than a British
Subject' (National Archives, London, CO 309/81, Victoria, public offices, 1866, ff.
126-7).
This view was transmitted to Carey’s successor as Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry
Manners-Sutton, in Despatch no. 17, 11 August 1866 (National Archives, London, CO
309/79). The rough draft of the despatch is minuted with further questions about an
appropriate British honour for M. Although M was on the March 1864 list of candidates
for honours to mark the marriage of the Prince of Wales that had been prepared by
officials (National Archives, London, CO 448/1A), Queen Victoria did not approve of
any honours to mark that event. Not until 1869 was M created a Companion of the Order
of Saint Michael and Saint George (National Archives, London, CO 447/12, Order of
Saint Michael and Saint George, 1869, Warrants, letters &c). See Lucas (2013a) for
a discussion of efforts to obtain British honours for M.