THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 665

Reedy Marsh (Black Boy Gold Diggings),
and of Mr. J. Trowbridge being appointed Agent for
the issue and payment of Post Office Money Orders
at that Office: to take effect on and from the 12th
instant.

By His Excellency's command.
THOS. D. CHAPMAN.

ARTICLES of AGREEMENT made this fourteenth
day of October, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, between
John Martin, of Wellington, hereinafter styled "the
Contractor," of the one part, and Her Majesty's
Postmaster-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 con-
siderations hereinafter mentioned, the said Contractor,
for himself, his heirs, executors, and administrators,
covenants with the said Postmater-General and his
successors in office, as follows:—

1. That at all times during the continuance of this
   agreement, or so long as the services hereby agreed
   to be performed between Picton and Manukau, and
   Manukau and Picton, ought to be performed in pur-
   suance thereof, the Contractor 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, whether loose or in closed mails,
   sent by the Post, to whatever country or places they
   may be addressed, or in whatever country or places
   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 comprehended,)
   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 con-
   veyed, provide and keep seaworthy and in complete
   repair, for such conveyance, once in every four weeks
   between Picton and Manukau, and between Manukau
   and Picton, a good, efficient, and substantial steam
   vessel, such as may be requisite for the said
   services.

2. The said steam vessel shall always be furnished,
   while actually employed under this agreement, 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 extin-
   guishing fire, lightning conductors, charts, chrono-
   meters, proper nautical instruments, medicines, and
   whatsoever else may be requisite for equipping the
   said vessel, and rendering her constantly efficient for
   the service hereby agreed to be performed; 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 vessel, 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. This contract shall be deemed to have commenced
   on the fourteenth day of October, one thousand eight
   hundred and seventy-one, and thereafter the said
   Contractor shall perform one Postal Service in every
   four weeks between Picton and Manukau, calling at
   Nelson and New Plymouth, and back to Picton by
   the same route, according to Time Table to be
   furnished by the Postmaster-General, subject to
   variation of dates as hereinafter mentioned.

4. The Contractor shall respectively land, ship,
   and tranship all Her Majesty's Mails at the respec-
   tive Ports of Call, except New Plymouth, at his own
   expense; and such respective services shall be per-
   formed when necessary, in boats seaworthy and
   suitable for the purpose, furnished with effective
   covering for the protection of the Mails, and properly
   provided, manned, and equipped by the Contractor,
   to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General or his
   Agent.

5. A Chief Cabin passage, free of cost either for
   passage or victualling, in the steamship for the time
   being employed under this contract, shall be pro-
   vided on all occasions when required by the Post-
   master-General for an Officer of the New Zealand
   Post Office; and also a safe and proper place of
   deposit for the Mails, to the satisfaction of the said
   Postmaster-General or his Agent.

6. If there be no Post-Office Agent in charge of
   the Mails forwarded by the said steam vessel on
   board, the Master of the said steamship shall, with-
   out charge to the Government, take care of, and the
   Contractor shall be responsible for, the receipt, safe
   custody, and proper delivery of the Mails, according
   to the terms of this contract. The Contractor and
   commander, and all other officers of the vessel for the
   time being employed in the performance of this
   agreement, and all agents, seamen, and servants of
   the Contractor shall at all times punctually attend
   to the orders and directions of the Postmaster-
   General, his officers or agents, as to the mode, time,
   and place of landing, delivering, and receiving of
   Mails.

7. The said steam vessel shall (weather permitting)
   proceed on the respective voyages from the different
   ports on the dates specified in Time Tables to be
   furnished by the Postmaster-General, or on such
   other dates or hours as may be fixed as hereinafter
   mentioned, and shall not in the respective voyages
   between the said ports, exceed the time allowed by
   the said Tables: Provided always that it shall be
   lawful for the said Postmaster-General, or his author-
   ized Agent at either of the said ports, to detain the
   said steam vessel for a period of twelve hours at each
   of the said ports without payment.

8. In the event of the Mail from San Francisco
   not arriving in Auckland at its due date, the said
   steam vessel shall await the arrival of such Mail for
   a period of forty-eight hours after the date fixed for
   her departure in the Time Table furnished by the
   Postmaster-General without extra remuneration; and,
   also, shall so await the arrival of the said Mail for any
   period beyond such period of forty-eight hours that
   may be required by the Postmaster-General or any
   person duly authorized by him, in consideration of an
   extra payment at the rate of two pounds (£2) per
   hour for such further detention.

9. The sum of fifty pounds (£50) shall be paid by
   the Contractor to the Postmaster-General if on any
   occasion the said steam vessel shall not, weather per-
   mitting and accident excepted, sail at the appointed
   time, and an additional sum of ten pounds (£10) shall
   be in like manner paid for every delay of six hours in
   sailing after the appointed time; and the sum of one
   hundred pounds (£100) shall be in like manner paid
   whenever the said steamship shall not call at any port
   as duly required in fulfilment of this agreement,
   unless prevented from doing so by tempestuous
   weather.

10. The said Postmaster-General shall be at liberty,
    on reasonable notice, so often as he shall think fit, to
    alter the dates of sailing mentioned in the Time
    Tables hereinbefore alluded to.

11. The Contractor shall not assign, underlet, or
    dispose of this agreement, or any part thereof, with-
    out the consent of the Postmaster-General, signified