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Melbourne or New Zealand, but that the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood shall be bound to convey by any of their steam ships which may sail from Melbourne to the Bluff any mails arriving from England by the Overland Route which the postmaster at Melbourne may place on board any such steam ship as aforesaid.

11. That the preceding clause shall not impose on the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood, or either of them, any liability to sail any other vessel than the Gotherburg between Melbourne and New Zealand: but that if they do so, and if they convey by any such other vessel any mails under the preceding clause, the service rendered thereby shall be considered as remunerated by the sum hereinafter agreed to be paid for the service hereby contracted for.

12. That in consideration of the premises, the said J. A. R. Menzies, as such Superintendent as aforesaid, and on behalf of the said Province of Southland, doth hereby covenant with the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood, their executors, administrators, and assigns; that the said Province of Southland shall from time to time pay, or cause to be paid, to the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood, or their assigns, or the survivor of them, or the executors, administrators, or assigns of such survivor, for the service aforesaid, the sum of Four Hundred and sixteen pounds Thirteen shillings and Four pence, for and during each and every month in which the said service shall be performed, the said sum to be paid at Invercargill, in New Zealand, unto or to the order of the person or persons for the time being entitled thereto.

13. That for every month, during the continuance of this contract, in which the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood shall, from any cause not arising from their wilful neglect or default, fail to perform the service hereby contracted for, they shall forfeit as and by way of liquidated damages for such failure, the instalment or payment which, but for such failure, would have been due and payable to them in respect of that month’s service, under Clause Twelve of this contract.

14. That, in case of any wilful default on the part of the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood, or either of them, in performing the service hereby contracted for, the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood, their executors or administrators, shall and will pay unto Her Majesty the Queen, her heirs or successors by way of stipulated or ascertained damages hereby agreed upon between the said parties to these presents, the sum of Five hundred pounds sterling for each month in which wilful default as aforesaid shall happen.

In witness whereof, the said parties to these presents have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written.

James M’Meckan,
J. H. Blackwood,
J. A. R. Menzies,
By his Agent,
Thomas Henry Clarke.

Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood, in the presence of
R. W. Nunn,
Solicitor, Melbourne.

[Re-published from the New Zealand Gazette, 11th July, 1863.]

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Auckland, 6th July, 1863.

THE following Circular Despatch from Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies respecting the distress which still prevails among the Manufacturing Population of the Northern Counties of England, is published for general information.

Alured Domett,
Downing-street,
11th April, 1863.

Sir,—The distress which still prevails among the manufacturing population of the Northern Counties; and the apparent probability of its continuance, make it necessary for Her Majesty’s Government carefully to consider the several schemes which have been proposed for rescuing the people from their present condition, and for enabling them again to earn an independent livelihood: Among those schemes, as you are no doubt aware, Emigration occupies a prominent place. If the people in question had been accustomed to out-door labour, and their numbers were less excessive, there would be no room to doubt that Emigration would afford to them, as it has to others, an immediate escape, and that their transfer to other portions of the Empire would be as beneficial to the Colonies as