West Park and Kew, 1841-1865, xlv 
my father, who came forward as a candidate for their control 
on the first hint of a change in their management being 
contemplated. 
Soon after the accession of Her late Majesty a revision of 
the royal household became necessary, and the question of 
retaining the Botanic Gardens at Kew as a royal appanage 
having to be considered, a Commission was appointed by 
Parliament to report upon them. The Commission, the 
chairman of which was Dr. Lindley, reported favourably on 
the whole, and concluded with the recommendation that they 
should be retained and extended, in the following words : — 
‘ The importance of Botanic Gardens has for centuries been 
recognized by the governments of civilized states, and at this 
time there is no European nation without such an establish- 
ment except England. The wealthiest and most civilized 
country in Europe offers the only European example of the 
want of one of the first proofs of wealth and civilization. 
There are many gardens in the British colonies and depen- 
dencies, as Calcutta, Bombay, Saharunpore, the Mauritius, 
Sydney, and Trinidad, costing many thousands a year : their 
utility is much diminished by the want of some system under 
which they can all be regulated and controlled. There 
is no unity of purpose among them ; their objects are un- 
settled, their powers wasted from not receiving a proper 
direction ; they afford no aid to each other, and, it is to be 
feared, but little to the countries where they are established ; 
and yet they are capable of conferring very important benefits 
on commerce, and of conducing essentially to colonial pros- 
perity. ... A National Botanic Garden would be the centre 
around which all these lesser establishments should be 
arranged ; they should all be placed under the control of the 
chief of that garden, acting with him and through him with 
each other, recording constantly their proceedings, explaining 
their wants, receiving supplies, and aiding the mother country 
in everything useful in the vegetable kingdom ; medicine, 
commerce, agriculture, horticulture, and many branches of 
manufacture would derive considerable advantage from the 
