Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne botanic Garden,

16/11/66

Sir

In reply to your letter of the 12. Nov. (N. 4391)

1

J. Moore to M, 12 November 1866.

I have the honor to mention, that though I am most anxious to secure the valuable National Directory of Victoria alluded to, I have no fund whatever left of my incidental vote to meet the expenditure.

2

Butler & Brooke (1866). The volume was advertised as 'now ready', priced '15s' [15 shillings] in September (e.g. Argus, 6 September 1966, p. 7.

I avail myself of this opportunity to bring under the friendly notice of the honorable the Chief Secretary, that notwithstanding the strictest economy the incidental vote of this year proved so inadequate as to leave no fund for meeting the small current accounts of October November and December. The unexpected larger expenditure arose from three causes:

1, the completion of arrangements for laboratory work in this year involved many expenses, which will not reoccur, but which were this year unavoidable.

2, the disastrous flood of this spring caused many minor expenses in repairs tools &c, which out of the wages fund placed at my disposal could not be defrayed, indeed only a small portion of the damage could be made good again with the means placed at my command.

3

M to J. McCulloch, 12 October 1866, reports the consequences of the flood.

3, the transmissions of seeds and plants to the botanic garden during this year proved so much more extensive, as to involve much greater outlay then

4

than?

anticipated.

Under these peculiar and pressing circumstances I trust the honorable the Chief Secretary will be pleased to place the sum of fourty pounds (£40.- .-) Sterling on the additional or supplementary estimates to enable me to meet the current incidental expenses for the remainder of the year, which otherwise I have to defray out of my private means, and altho' I have repeatedly been placed in the same position, I find it ruinous to my private means to become often liable to such departmental outlays.

5

The Chief Secretary, James McCulloch, initialled the file, but no other action is indicated.

Mr Undersecretary Moore.