226
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

General Post Office,
Wellington, 11th May, 1867.

THE following Articles of Agreement with the
Panama New Zealand and Australian Royal
Mail Company (Limited) for conveyance of mails
between Port Chalmers and Melbourne are published
for general information.

JOHN HALL.

ARTICLES of AGREEMENT made this first day of
March, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven, between the Panama
New Zealand and Australian Royal Mail Company
(Limited) who are hereinafter styled "the Con-
tractors," of the one part, and Her Majesty's Post-
master-General of the Colony of New Zealand, on
behalf of the said Colony, in pursuance of the
provisions of "The New Zealand Post Office Act,
1858," of the other part, WITNESS, that for the
considerations hereinafter mentioned, the said con-
tractors, for themselves, their successors and limited
assigns, covenant with the said Postmaster-General,
and his successors in office, as follows:-

1. That at all times during the continuance of this
   agreement, or so long as the service hereby agreed
   to be performed between Melbourne and Port
   Chalmers, ought to be performed in pursuance
   thereof the contractors will, for the purpose of
   conveying, as hereinafter provided, all Her Majesty's
   Mails (in which term "Mails" all letters, boxes, bags
   or packets of letters, newspapers, books or printed
   papers, sent by the Post to whatever country or
   place they may be addressed, or in whatever country
   or place they may have originated; and all empty
   bags and other stores, used or to be used in carrying
   on the Post Office service, which shall be sent by or
   to or from the Post Office, are agreed to be compre-
   hended), which shall at any time and from time to
   time, by the Postmaster-General for the time being
   of the said Colony, hereinafter styled the Postmaster-
   General, or any of his officers or agents, be required
   to be conveyed, provide, and keep seaworthy, and in
   complete repair, for such conveyance, once each way
   each calendar month between Melbourne and Port
   Chalmers, a sufficient number of good, substantial,
   and efficient steam vessels for the said service.

2. The vessels to be employed under this agree-
   ment shall be always furnished while in actual use
   with all appropriate and necessary machinery,
   engines, apparel, furniture, stores, tackle, boats, fuel,
   lamps, oil for lamps and engines, tallow, provisions,
   anchors, cables, fire pumps and other proper means
   for extinguishing fire, lightning conductors, charts,
   chronometers, proper nautical instruments, medicines,
   and whatsoever else may be requisite for equipping
   the said vessels, and rendering them constantly
   efficient for the service hereby agreed to be per-
   formed, and also manned and provided with competent
   officers, and with a sufficient number of efficient
   engineers, and a sufficient crew of able seamen and
   other men, to be in all respects, as to vessels,
   engines, equipments, officers, engineers and crew,
   subject in the first instance, and from time to time,
   and at all times afterwards, to the approval of the
   Postmaster - General, or of such other competent
   person or persons as he shall at any time or times,
   or from time to time, authorize to inspect and
   examine the same.

3. One of the said steam vessels shall, within
   twenty-four hours after the arrival of the European
   Mail at the port of Melbourne aforesaid, in each
   month, leave that port for Port Chalmers aforesaid,
   and shall, unless prevented by tempestuous weather,
   call at the Bluff Harbour to land and receive Mails,

and shall deliver the Mails at Port Chalmers within
one hundred and fifty-six hours from the hour of
departure from Melbourne.

4. One of the said steam vessels shall, in the event
   of the European Mail not arriving in Melbourne at
   its due date, await the arrival of such Mail for a
   period of forty-eight hours without extra remunera-
   tion, and also for a further period of forty-eight
   hours if required so to await by the said Postmaster-
   General or his agent, in consideration of an extra
   payment at the rate of £4 per hour for such second
   period of forty-eight hours. If the arrival of the
   European Mail at King George's Sound, be
   telegraphed at Melbourne before the expiration of
   such second period of forty-eight hours, the contractors
   shall if so required by the Postmaster-General or his
   agent, either detain the said steam vessel until after
   the receipt on board of the European Mail, being
   paid for such further detention an extra payment at
   the rate of £4 per hour, or shall at their option
   despatch the said European Mail within three days
   after its arrival at Melbourne by some other approved
   steamer, without such extra payment.

5. One of the said steamships shall leave Port
   Chalmers on the twentieth day of each month
   (except the month of February), or such other date
   as may be appointed, not earlier than two p.m. in
   the day; and on the eighteenth day of the month of
   February, not earlier than two p.m. on that day.

6. All Her Majesty's Mails for New Zealand by the
   European Mail Ships via Melbourne, and from New
   Zealand for transmission by the European Mail Ships
   via Melbourne, shall be respectively taken from and
   delivered on board the European Mail Ships in
   Hobson's Bay, at Melbourne, by and at the expense
   of the contractors; and Her Majesty's Mails from
   Melbourne for New Zealand, and from New Zealand
   to Melbourne, shall, as the case may require, be
   respectively transhipped at Port Chalmers, and landed
   and shipped at the Bluff Harbour and at Melbourne,
   by and at the expense of the contractors. Such
   respective services shall be performed by boats sea-
   worthy and suitable for the purpose, furnished with
   effective covering for the Mails, and properly provided,
   manned, and equipped by the contractors to the
   satisfaction of the Postmaster - General or his
   agent.

7. A chief cabin passage, free of cost either for
   passage or victualling, in each of the steamships
   employed under this contract, shall be provided on
   all occasions when required by the Postmaster-
   General for an agent or clerk of the New Zealand
   Post Office; and, also, a safe and proper place of
   deposit for the Mails, and proper accommodation, to
   the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General, for
   enabling the Mails to be sorted on board of the said
   steamships, and that the crew of each of the said
   vessels shall assist in conveying the Mails between
   the Mail Room and the Sorting Room whenever it
   may be necessary, under the direction of the Mail
   Agent hereinmentioned.

At each port, the agent or clerk of the New
Zealand Post Office shall, whenever and as often as
it by him shall be deemed practicable or necessary for
the public service, be conveyed on shore, and also
from the shore to the vessel employed for the time
being in the performance of this agreement, together
with or (if such officer or officers shall consider it
requisite for the purposes of this agreement so to
do) without Mails, in a suitable and seaworthy boat
of not less than four oars, to be furnished with
effectual covering for the Mails, and properly
provided, manned, and equipped by the Company,
and that the directions of such officer shall in all