236
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

In the Auckland Militia.
Captain William Clare to be Major. Date of com-
mission, 4th May, 1869.
Major William Clare to command the Militia and
Volunteers in the Wairoa (Auckland) Militia
District.

In the Wellington Militia.
Captain William Alfred Fitzherbert (Hutt Cavalry
Volunteers) to be Captain. Date of commission,
10th May, 1869.

In the Auckland Troop, Royal Cavalry Volunteers.
John Randal Carey to be Captain. Date of com-
mission, 17th April, 1869.

In the Thames Rifle Rangers Volunteers.
Captain James Skene (Auckland Militia) to be
Captain. Date of commission, 18th December,
1868.

In the No. 2 Company, Hauraki Rifle Volunteers.
Thomas Barnett to be Captain. Date of commission,
16th April, 1869.
Seth Sam, M.D., to be Honorary Assistant Surgeon.
Date of commission, 16th April, 1869.
T. M. HAULTAIN.

Colonial Defence Office,
Wellington, 19th May, 1869.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
accept the services of the under-mentioned
Corps, viz.:-

The Thames Rifle Rangers Volunteers. Date of
acceptance, 15th December, 1868.
T. M. HAULTAIN.

ARTICLES of AGREEMENT made this fifteenth
day of April, in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, between
James McMeckan and John Hutchison Blackwood,
of Melbourne, who are hereinafter styled "the
Contractors," of the one part, and Her Majesty's
Postmaster-General of the Colony of New Zealand,
on behalf of the Government of New Zealand, 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 Contractors, for themselves, their heirs,
executors, administrators, and limited assigns, cove-
nant with the said Postmaster-General, and his suc-
cessors in office, hereinafter styled "the Postmaster-
General."

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 Wellington,
   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 com-
   prehended) which shall at any time and from time
   to time, by 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 every four weeks
   between Melbourne and Wellington, 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 com-
   petent 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 six
   hours after the arrival of the European Mail at
   the Port of Melbourne aforesaid, in each month,
   leave that port for Wellington aforesaid, and shall,
   unless prevented by tempestuous weather, call at
   Hokitika to land and receive Mails, but shall not
   remain there more than twelve hours under any cir-
   cumstances, and shall deliver the Mails at Wellington
   within one hundred and ninety-two hours from the
   hour of departure from Melbourne.

4. One of 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 remune-
   ration, 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 tele-
   graphed at Melbourne before the expiration of such
   second period of forty-eight hours, the Contractors
   shall, if so required by the Posmaster-General or his
   agent, either detain the said steam vessel until the
   arrival at the Port of Melbourne and the receipt on
   board of the European Mail, being paid for such
   further detention an extra payment at the rate of
   £4 per hour, calculated from the expiration of the
   second period of forty-eight hours to the receipt of
   the European Mail on board the said steam vessel,
   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 Welling-
   ton once every four weeks at the date specified in a
   Time Table to be furnished by the Postmaster-
   General.

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 shipped, transhipped, and landed by and
   at the expense of the Contractors. Such respective
   services shall, where boats are needed, be performed
   in boats seaworthy 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 to and from Hobson's Bay
   and back, free of cost either for passage or victualling,
   shall be provided by the Contractors on all occasions