F.—2a,

20

the shore in the respective ports as part of the services hereby contracted to be rendered. The master or commander shall also make the usual Post Office declaration, and furnish such journal-returns and other information, and perform such other services, as the Postmasters-General, or either of them, or their or either of their officers, shall from time to time reasonably require. 65. The Contractors, and all commanding and other officers in charge of the ships employed under this contract, shall at all times punctually attend to the orders and direction of the PostmastersGeneral, or either of them, their or either of their officers or agents, as to the mode, time, and place of landing, delivering, and receiving the mails, and so far as such orders and directions are reasonable and consistent with the safety of the ships. 66. The Contractors shall have no claim to any postage, nor to any sum on account thereof, for mails carried in any ship employed in the service under this contract, or on account of any services rendered respecting the same. 67. The Contractors shall provide suitable first-class accommodation for a mail officer or agent on board each of the ships employed under this contract, who shall be at liberty to use such accommodation as may be required for, the performance of his duties, and such officer or agent shall be victualled by the Contractors as his chief-cabin passenger without charge either for his passage or victualling, and whilst the ship stays at any port, excepting the ports of final destination, to or from which the mails are conveyed, such officer and agent shall be allowed to remain on board, and shall be victualled as aforesaid. 68. Every such mail officer or agent shall be recognized and treated by the Contractors, their officers and agents, as the agent of the Postmasters-G-eneral, or of the Postmaster-Q-eneral by whom he may have been appointed, as the case may be, and as having full authority in all cases to require a due and strict performance of this contract: Provided that no such agent or officer shall have power to control or interfere with any master, commander, or officer in the performance of his duty, and every such agent and officer shall be subject to all general orders issued by the master or commander for the good order, health, and comfort of the passengers and crew and the safety of the ships. As TO THE CONVEYANCE, ETC., OF CaBGO. 69. The Government do not undertake to send Government cargo by any of the ships, or, if any shall be sent, guarantee any particular quantity, but all cargo which the Agent-General shall deem it convenient to send from the United Kingdom to New Zealand by the ships of the Contractors shall, if the ships are so constructed as to be able to receive and to carry the same, be conveyed by the Contractors to New Zealand and delivered with all despatch at the usual place of disembarkation at the port or ports to which the same shall be directed at the following rates, that is to say : For ordinary deadweight cargo [Insert prices stated in tender], pounds per ton, and for ordinary measurement cargo [Insert prices stated in tender], pounds per ton. 70. All single pieces of deadweight or measurement weighing or measuring over three tons shall be taken out of the ship by and at the cost and risk of the Government. All bills of lading for cargo shall be made subject to the terms of this contract. The amount to be paid by the Government for carriage of cargo shall be paid as follows: One-half thereof on the signing and delivery of the bills of lading, and the other half thereof on the delivery of the cargo at its port of destination. 71. The Contractors shall fit up each ship for the homeward voyage with proper freezing chambers and proper machinery, to be approved by the Government, so as to be capable of conveying to Great Britain fresh meats and dairy produce up to two hundred tons of cargo-space. Genebai. 72. If the Contractors shall not reside or have a place of business both in London and at Wellington, they shall at all times have an agent aji the place or places, as the case may be, at which they have no residence or place of business, who shall have full powers to act in all matters relating to this contract, and such agent shall from time to time inform the Agent-General of any change in his address or place of business; and the acts of such agent, and all notices or directions given, and all payments made to him by or on behalf of the Government under this contract, shall be binding and conclusive on the Contractors in all respects. 73. This contract or any part thereof shall not be assigned or underlet or disposed of by the Contractors without the consent in writing of the Government first obtained for such purpose. 74. Should hostilities occur between the United Kingdom and any foreign Power during the continuance of this contract, either party may annul the same : Provided always that, if at any time or immediately preceding the time of the declaration of war, any ship or ships under the contract is or are preparing for the conveyance of emigrants, the despatching of such ship or ships shall, if the Government so require, be completed, and such extra sum for the conveyance of emigrants shall be paid by the Government as may be mutually agreed upon, or, failing agreement by the parties to this contract, as may be determined by arbitration in the manner hereinafter provided for. 75. In case this contract or any part thereof shall be assigned, underlet, or otherwise disposed of by the Contractors otherwise than with such consent as last aforesaid, or in case of any great or habitual non-performance or non-observance of this contract, or of any of the covenants, matters, or things herein contained, and on the part of the Contractors, their officers, agents, or servants, or any of them, to be observed and performed, and whether there be or not any penalty or sum of money payable by the Contractors for any such non-observance or non-performance, it shall be lawful for the Government, if they shall be of opinion that the Contractors are not bond fide carrying out the provisions herein contained, and they shall so think fit (and notwithstanding there may or may not have been any former non-ofeervance or non-performance of this contract), by notice in writing to the Contractors or their agents, to forthwith determine this contract, and the Contractors shall not be entitled to any compensation in respect of such determination. And such determination shall not deprive the Government of any rights or remedies to which they would otherwise be entitled by reason of any non-observance or non-performance of any of the provisions herein contained: Provided always that if within but not after twenty-eight days after any notice of the determination of this