5

D.—3

Supreme Court of New Zealand, to appoint forthwith such a representative person or persons as aforesaid. But nothing herein contained shall be deemed to take away or affect any right of appeal now allowed by law. 23. The company shall at all times keep and maintain an office at Christchurch, or in some other town in the colony. A notification of the position of such office shall, within one month after the date hereof, be given by or on behalf of the company to the Governor; and, in case of any change in the position of such office, a like notification thereof shall forthwith be given by or on behalf of the company to the Governor as often as any such change shall be made. Any notice required to be given to the company under these presents may be given by delivering the same at such office as aforesaid ; and, if at any time there shall be no such office of which a notification has been given in accordance herewith, then any such notice as aforesaid may be given by delivering the same at the last known office of the company in New Zealand, or by being affixed on the door of the booking-office of some station of the railway to be constructed under these presents. 24. It is hereby declared and agreed that if at any time hereafter any dispute, difference, or question shall arise touching the construction, meaning, or effect of these presents, or any clause or thing herein contained, or the rights or liabilities of either of the said parties under these presents, or otherwise howsoever in relation to the premises, except as to the terms of the agreement mentioned in clause 13 hereof, then every such dispute, difference, or question shall be referred to the arbitration of two indifferent persons, one to be appointed by each party to the reference, or an umpire to be appointed by the arbitrators in writing before entering on the business of the reference; and, if either party shall refuse or neglect to appoint an arbitrator within three months after the other party shall have appointed an arbitrator, and shall have served a written notice upon the first-mentioned party requiring such party to make an appointment, then the arbitrator appointed as aforesaid shall, at the request of the party appointing him, proceed to hear and determine the matters in difference as if he were an arbitrator appointed by both parties for that purpose; and the award or determination which shall be made by the said arbitrators or abitrator, or of such umpire if the arbitrators shall disagree, shall be final and binding upon the said parties hereto respectively, so as such arbitrators or arbitrator shall make their or his award in writing within three months after the reference to them or him, or on or before any later day to which the said arbitrators or arbitrator by any writing signed by them or him shall enlarge the time for making their or his award, and so as such umpire shall make his award or determination in writing within one month next after the original or extended time appointed for making the award of the said arbitrators shall have expired, or on or before any later day to which the umpire shall by any writing signed by him enlarge the time for making his award; and also that no action or legal proceedings shall be commenced or prosecuted by either of the said parties hereto against the other of them touching any of the said matters in difference, unless the party to be made defendant to such action or proceedings shall have refused or neglected to refer such matters to arbitration pursuant to the provisions hereinbefore contained, or unless the time limited for making such award as aforesaid shall have expired without any such award being made; and also that all necessary witnesses on behalf of either of the parties to such reference, and all persons claiming through them respectively, shall submit to be examined by the said arbitrators, arbitrator, or umpire, upon oath or affirmation, in relation to the matters in dispute, and shall produce before the arbitrators, arbitrator, or umpire, all books, deeds, maps, papers, accounts, writings, and documents within the possession or power of the said respective parties which may be required or called for, and do all other things which during the proceedings on the said reference the said arbitrators, arbitrator, or umpire may require, and that the witnesses on the reference shall, if the arbitrators, arbitrator, or umpire shall think fit, be examined on oath or affirmation, and that the costs of the reference and award shall be in the discretion of the arbitrators, arbitrator, or umpire, who may direct to and by whom and in what manner the same or any part thereof shall be paid; and that the submission to reference and any award made in pursuance thereof may, at the instance of either of the parties to the reference, and without any notice to the other of them, be made a rule or order of the Supreme Court of New Zealand: Provided that, if by the terms of any award made under any such reference as aforesaid any money shall in any manner be payable by the Queen or the Government to the company, no attachment, or execution or process in the nature thereof, shall be issued by or on behalf of the company upon any rule or order of the Supreme Court as aforesaid, unless and until the Governor shall on behalf of the Queen at as early a date as practicable have taken all such steps as may be necessary to have such money specially appropriated by the General Assembly to satisfy such award, and the payment of such money shall have been refused by the General Assembly. 25. It is also declared and agreed that these presents shall be and are intended to operate as a substitute for the original contract. 26. Wherever in these presents it is provided that any appointment, instrument, or notice, or any other act or thing, power, or authority whatsoever, may be made, executed, given, done, performed, exercised, or suffered by the Queen, or by or on behalf of the Queen, or by the Governor, then it shall be sufficient if such appointment, instrument, or notice, or other act or thing, power, or authority is made, executed, given, done, performed, exercised, or suffered by the Governor on behalf of the Queen or in his own name as the case requires, or by such person or persons as the Governor may from time to time appoint for all or any of the purposes herein mentioned ; and also that when any notice or instrument may be given to or served on the Queen by or on behalf of the company the same may be given to or served on the Governor on behalf of the Queen, or to or on any person appointed by him to receive the same. 27. Wherever in these presents any act or thing is agreed to be done or suffered by or on behalf of the Queen, or the Minister for Public Works, which, under or by virtue of " The Govern-