596
: THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

Appointment of Volunteer Officers.
—
Colonial Defence Office,
Wellington, 2nd September, 1874.
HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased
to make the under-mentioned promotion and
appointments, viz.,—

In the Alexandra Cavalry Volunteers.
Sub-Lieutenant Alexander Higgie to be Captain.
Date of commission, 28th February, 1874.
Thomas Higgie to be Lieutenant. Date of com-
mission, 28th February, 1874.

In the Auckland Scottish Rifle Volunteers.
Robert Charles Greenwood to be Lieutenant.
Date of commission, 24th March, 1874.

In the No. 9 (Woodend) Company, Canterbury Rifle
Volunteers.
Thomas May to be Lieutenant. Date of com-
mission 29th July, 1874.

DONALD MCLEAN.

Mail Service between New Zealand and Levuka.
ARTICLES of AGREEMENT made this fourth
day of July, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, between
"The Auckland Steam Packet Company, Limited,"
of Auckland, in the Colony of New Zealand, (herein-
after styled "the Contractors,") of the one part, and
the Honorable Julius Vogel, the Postmaster-General
of the said 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 con-
siderations hereinafter mentioned, the Contractors,
for themselves, their successors, and (permitted)
assigns, covenant with the said Postmaster-General,
and his successors 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 Port Chalmers, in the
   Colony of New Zealand, and Levuka, in the Fiji
   Islands, ought to be performed in pursuance thereof,
   the Contractors will, for the purposes of this
   agreement, provide and keep seaworthy, and in
   complete repair, for such service, once each way
   every six weeks between Port Chalmers and Levuka,
   a substantial and efficient steam vessel for the said
   service.

2. The vessels to be employed under this agree-
   ment shall be the steamships belonging to the Con-
   tractors known as the "Star of the South" and
   "Southern Cross," or such other steamships as may
   from time to time be approved of by the Postmaster-
   General for the purposes of this Contract, and such
   steamships respectively shall be always furnished
   while in actual use with all appropriate and neces-
   sary machinery, engines, apparel, furniture, stores,
   tackle, boats, fuel, lamps, oil for lamps and engines,
   tallow, provisions, anchors, cables, fire-pumps, and
   other proper means of extinguishing fire, lightning
   conductors, charts, chronometers, proper nautical
   instruments, medicines, and whatsoever else may be
   requisite for equipping the said vessels, and render-
   ing them constantly efficient for the service hereby
   agreed to be performed; and also manned and pro-
   vided 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 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. The steamships to be employed under this
   agreement shall proceed from Port Chalmers afore-
   said to Levuka aforesaid, by way of and calling at
   Lyttelton, Wellington, Napier, and Auckland, in
   New Zealand, and shall proceed on the return voyage
   from Levuka aforesaid to Port Chalmers aforesaid,
   by way of and calling at Auckland, Napier,
   Wellington, and Lyttelton aforesaid. At each of
   the ports named in this clause, the said steamships
   shall land and receive mails, whether on the trip
   from Port Chalmers to Levuka, or from Levuka to
   Port Chalmers, and such service shall be included in
   and be deemed to be part of the service herein agreed
   to be performed.

4. In this Contract, the term "Mails" shall mean
   and include 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.

5. One of the said steamships shall leave Port
   Chalmers once every six weeks, at the date specified
   in a Time Table to be furnished by the Postmaster-
   General: Provided that the Postmaster-General
   may from time to time alter the dates specified in
   such Time Table, on giving reasonable notice to the
   Contractors of the required alteration; and the
   altered dates shall be observed and kept as if the
   same had been specified herein: Provided also that
   the Postmaster-General may detain either of the
   said steamships at either of the ports named in the
   third clause for a period not exceeding twenty-four
   hours from the date appointed for departure as
   aforesaid, free of any charge under this Contract or
   otherwise.

6. The steam vessel from Levuka aforesaid to Port
   Chalmers aforesaid shall be despatched from Levuka
   on such days as may hereafter be fixed upon by the
   Postmaster-General from time to time; and it is
   hereby agreed that the duration of the voyage from
   Port Chalmers to Levuka, and from Levuka to Port
   Chalmers, shall not exceed forty-four days. Each
   day shall be reckoned as a day of twenty-four hours.

7. All mails shall be respectively received and
   delivered by and at the expense of the Contractors,
   and when necessary 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; and the Con-
   tractors shall provide a safe and proper place of de-
   posit for the mails.

8. The Contractors, and all commanders and other
   officers of the vessels employed in the performance
   of this agreement, and all agents, seamen, and
   servants of the Contractors, shall at all times punc-
   tually attend to the orders and directions of the
   Postmaster-General, his officers or agents.

9. The Contractors shall not, nor shall any of the
   masters, officers, seamen, or other servants of
   the Contractors, on any of the vessels employed
   or to be employed under this agreement, receive,
   or permit to be received on board any of the
   vessels employed under this agreement, any loose
   letters for conveyance other than those which are or
   may be privileged by law; and in case of any such
   default in the provision of this clause, the Contractors
   shall be liable to be proceeded against for a breach
   of this agreement.