Heads and shall have communicated such his decision to the contractors they the contractors shall complete the line of Telegraph from Port Chalmers to the Heads in manner aforesaid or in such other manner as the circumstances of the case may require Provided nevertheless that it shall be at the option of the said contractors to complete the said Telegraph from Port Chalmers to the Heads or not as they shall see fit

18. During the currency of this agreement the Superintendent shall not give permission for the erection of any other line of Telegraph along Government Roads or through its Reserves between Dunedin and Port Chalmers or to the Heads provided the contractors shall continue the line thereto In witness whereof the said parties hereto of the first part have hereunto set their hands and seals and the said John Larkins Cheese Richardson has set his hand and caused the Public Seal of the said Province to be affixed hereto the day and year first above written

RICHARD WOOLLEY

MATHEW MITCHELL

J. L. C. RICHARDSON

Signed sealed and delivered by the said Richard Woolley and John Larkins Cheese Richardson in the presence of

HENRY HOWORTH
Dunedin Gentleman

Signed sealed and delivered by the said Mathew Mitchell in the presence of

RICHARD PERRY Junr. J.P.

MAIL SERVICE.

MELBOURNE TO OTAGO.

ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT made the eleventh day of January one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two between JAMES M’MEIKAN and JOHN HUTCHESON BLACKWOOD both of the City of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria Merchants trading under the firm of M’MEIKAN BLACKWOOD & Co. of the one part and His Honor JOHN LARKINS CHEESE RICHARDSON Superintendent of the Province of Otago in the Colony of New Zealand of the other part

WHEREAS the said James M’Meikan and John Hutcheson Blackwood have offered to run a Monthly Mail Service by the steamship Omeo between the Port of Melbourne aforesaid and the Port of Otago aforesaid for the period of one year from the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two for an annual subsidy of one thousand eight hundred pounds and such offer has been accepted by the said Superintendent upon the terms and conditions hereinafter expressed Now these presents witness that in consideration of the annual subsidy of one thousand eight hundred pounds to be paid in manner hereinafter mentioned the said James M’Meikan and John Hutcheson Blackwood for themselves their heirs executors and administrators Do hereby covenant and agree to and with the said John Larkins Cheese Richardson and his successors Superintendents of the said Province that they the said James M’Meikan and John Hutcheson Blackwood and the survivors or survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor shall and will establish and maintain a Monthly Mail Service by means of the first-class steamer Omeo between Melbourne aforesaid and the Port of Otago aforesaid for the said period of one year to be computed from the said first day of January unless the said steamer shall by the perils of the sea or other accident be rendered incapable of performing the said service Provided nevertheless that the said James M’Meikan and John Hutcheson Blackwood may at any time if they shall think fit perform the said service by any other first-class steamer And that the steamer performing the said service shall leave the Port of Melbourne every month within twenty-four hours after the arrival there of the Mail from England Provided that such arrival shall take place within four days after the time appointed for the same beyond which period such steamer shall not be bound to wait for the said Mail And further that the vessel performing the said service shall remain in the said Port of Otago for the period of three days at the least in order to receive the Otago return Mail And further that no vessel when performing the said service shall be liable to pay any harbour or pilot dues at the Port of Otago of a higher rate than those now in force in the said Port And in consideration of the service so to be performed by the said James M’Meikan and John Hutcheson Blackwood in pursuance of these presents he the said John Larkins Cheese Richardson for himself and his successors Superintendents of the said Province Doth hereby covenant and agree by and with the said James M’Meikan and John Hutcheson Blackwood their executors administrators and assigns that he and they shall and will pay to the said James M’Meikan and John Hutcheson Blackwood and the survivors or survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor