464
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 30

Majesty’s Government in the said colony. “The Agent-General” means the Agent-General for the time being of the said colony, or any person authorized by him in writing to act on his behalf. “Contractors” includes the executors and administrators, and, if the Government shall consent to an assignment of this contract, the assigns of the Contractors. “Hours” means hours calculated according to Greenwich time. “Emigrants” means any passengers or persons who may be sent out or be emigrating to New Zealand under the provisions of any regulations or authority in force for the time being relating to the conduct of emigration to New Zealand, and for the purposes of “The Passengers Act, 1855,” means the same as “passengers.” “Statute adult” has the same meaning as in “The Passengers Act, 1855.” “Postmasters-General” means the Postmaster-General of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Postmaster-General for the time being of the Colony of New Zealand. “Postmaster-General” means one of such Postmasters-General, according to the context. “Mails” includes all boxes, bags, or packets of letters, newspapers, books, or printed papers, patterns, and all other articles transmissible by post, without regard either to the place to which they may be addressed or to that in which they may have originated; also all empty bags, empty boxes, and other stores and articles used or to be used in carrying on the Post Office service. “Mail” means the aggregate of mails transmitted at any one time by any of the ships for the time being employed in the service under this contract. “Cargo” means any goods, chattels, wares, or merchandise of any kind or description soever, except live animals sent or intended to be sent by the Agent-General or otherwise on behalf of the Government to New Zealand. “Delivery of cargo” means delivery of cargo at the ship’s slings or side according to the custom of the port. “Ordinary deadweight” means such weight as in no single piece weighs or measures over three tons. “Ordinary measurement” means and includes all goods usually taken by measurement.

2. Whenever under this contract any act is required to be done, or any power or authority exercised in the United Kingdom by or on behalf of the Government, it may be done or exercised by the Agent-General, and whenever any act or thing is required to be done, or any power or authority exercised in New Zealand by or on behalf of the Government, it may be done or exercised by the Governor of New Zealand for the time being, or the member of the Executive Council of that colony for the time being administering the Immigration Department (hereinafter designated “the Minister”), or by such other person or persons as such Governor or Minister may from time to time appoint.

3. The Contractors shall and will from time to time, and at all times hereafter during the period during which this contract is to be performed, provide and keep seaworthy, and in complete repair and readiness, a sufficient number of, and not less than five, good, substantial, and efficient screw steamships of the first class, and fully equal to Class 100 A1, Lloyd’s Register, and of not less gross register-tonnage than three thousand tons each, constructed of iron, and propelled by first-rate engines of adequate power for a continuous speed so as to perform the voyages hereinafter mentioned within the time [or times] hereinafter [respectively] specified, and having spar decks and proper capacity for passengers and cargo, and ample ventilation for passing through tropical latitudes, and with a minimum height in every part between decks of 7 feet.

4. The ships to be employed under this contract shall be of the capacity aforesaid, and shall, except as hereinafter provided, be always furnished with all necessary and proper machinery, engines, apparel, furniture, stores, tackle, boats, fuel, lamps, oil, tallow, provisions, anchors, cables, fire-pumps, and other proper means for extinguishing fire, lightning conductors, charts, chronometers, nautical instruments, and whatsoever else may be necessary for equipping the said ships, and rendering them constantly efficient for travelling at the continuous speed aforesaid, and for the services hereby agreed to be performed; and also manned and provided with competent and legally-qualified officers (the master or commander having due experience in the command of screw steamships, and the chief officer, as well as the master or commander, having a master’s certificate), and with a sufficient number of efficient engineers, and a sufficient crew of able seamen and other men; the ship’s engines, equipments, and capacity to be in all respects subject in the first instance, and at all times afterwards, to the approval of the Government, or of such person or persons as they shall at any time or times, or from time to time, authorize to inspect and examine the same, and no ship shall be employed or used for the purposes of this contract until approved as aforesaid: Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby declared, that the Contractors, so long as they shall perform the said services within the times and in the manner hereinafter provided, shall not be required to keep more than four of the said ships actually employed in the said services, and furnished with stores, fuel, and provisions, and manned and provided with officers, engineers, and crew, as hereinbefore provided for, but may from time to time, and for such length of time as they shall think fit, cause any one of the said ships to be laid up; but the ship, including its machinery and engines, which shall be so laid up shall, if in complete repair at the time when it is laid up, be kept in complete repair; and, if the same or its machinery or engines shall be out of repair, shall with all due diligence be put in complete repair, and be thenceforth kept in complete repair; and the ship so laid up, being with its machinery and engines when laid up in, or after it and its machinery and engines shall have been put into, complete repair, as hereinbefore mentioned, shall at all times thereafter while laid up be kept in such a state and condition that, upon being furnished with stores, fuel, and provisions, and being manned and provided with officers, engineers, and crew, as hereinbefore provided for, it would thereupon be in readiness for performing the said services, and efficient for travelling at the speed hereinbefore mentioned.

5. The Government shall have full power, whenever and as often as they may deem it requisite by any of their qualified officers or agents, to inspect the officers, engineers, and crew of all or any of the ships, including any ship so laid up as hereinbefore mentioned, employed or to be employed in the performance of this contract, and to survey all or any of such ships and the hulls thereof, and the machinery, engines, apparel, furniture, stores, tackle, boats, and equipments of every such ship, and for the purposes aforesaid the said ships shall (if necessary) be opened in their hulls whenever the said officers or agents may so require; and if, on any such inspection, any such officers, engineers, or

• Omit if both voyages to be performed in the 1,200 hours.