CO129-186 - Public Offices & Others - 1879 — Page 343

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Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Contract of 7th February 1879.

EAST INDIA AND CHINA MAILS.

Articles of Agreement under Seal made and entered into this Seventh day of February 1879 between the Right Honourable John James Robert Manners (commonly called Lord John Manners) Her Majesty's Postmaster General for the time being on behalf of Her Majesty (the said Lord John Manners and his successors Her Majesty's Postmasters General for the time being being hereinafter included in the term the Postmaster General) of the one part and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (hereinafter called the Com- pany) of the other part. These presents witness that Her Majesty's Postmaster General for himself and his suc- cessors Her Majesty's Postmasters General for the time being (as to the covenants agreements and stipulations hereinafter contained on his and their parts) doth hereby covenant and agree with the Company and their suc- cessors and the Company for themselves their successors and assigns (as to the covenants agreements and stipu- lations hereinafter contained on their part) do hereby covenant and agree with the Postmaster General and his successors Her Majesty's Postmasters General for the time being in manner following (that is to say) :-

"

1. For all the purposes of these presents the term "mails shall be understood to comprehend all boxes bags or packets of letters newspapers books or printed papers and all other articles which under the regulations of the Post Office for the time being are transmissible by the post without regard either to the place to which they may be addressed or to that in which they may have originated and all empty bags empty boxes and other stores and articles used or to be used in carrying on the Post Office service which shall be sent by or to or from the Post Offices in any country or place to or from which mails are to be conveyed in pursuance of this Agreement.

"Mails "defined..

nails.

2. The Company will at all times during the continuance of Company to convey this Agreement convey on the several routes and between the several places specified in the Schedule hereunder written and at an average rate of speed of 11 knots per hour between Brindisi and Alexandria and between Suez and Bombay and at an average rate of speed of 10 knots per hour between Suez and Shanghai all mails which the Postmaster General or any of his officers or agents shall from time to time and at any time or times require to be conveyed in either direction between

30.

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Brindisi

4.

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