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Conveyance that behalf nominate as aforesaid, as shall (either prior to of Mails. or after the commencement of such service) be fixed and agreed on between the Postmaster-General and such company of proprietors, or in case of difference of opinion between them, then as shall be determined by arbitration as hereinafter provided, but so that the services which may be required by the Postmaster-General, or by such officer of the post-office as he in that behalf shall nominate as aforesaid, to be performed by any such company of proprietors, be not suspended, postponed, or deferred by reason of such remuneration not having been then fixed or agreed on between the said Postmaster-General and such company of proprietors, or by reason of the award on any reference to arbitration to determine the remuneration not having been then made.

Agreements 7. And be it enacted, That notwithstanding any agreeas to remu- ment entered into between the Postmaster-General and neration, any such company, or any award to be made on any such &c., to be reference as aforesaid, fixing the amount of remuneration altered in to be paid to such company for any services to be rendered case of ad- by them as aforesaid, it shall be lawful and competent to dition to, or and for the Postmaster-General, by notice in writing, to ance of, any require, from and after the day to be named in any such part of ser- notice, not being less than twenty-eight days from the

discontinu

vices of

company.

delivery thereof, any addition to be made to the services in respect of which such agreement shall be entered into or award made; and in any such case, and also in case of a discontinuance of any part of such services as hereinafter provided, a fresh agreement shall be entered into between the Postmaster-General and such company, regulating the future amount of remuneration to be paid by the Postmaster-General to such company for such increased or diminished services, as the case may be; or if the parties cannot agree on such amount, the same shall be referred to arbitration in like manner as hereinbefore is mentioned and hereinafter provided as to any original agreement; and such arbitrators shall have power to award any compensation they may consider reasonable to be paid to any railway company for any loss that may have been occasioned to them by the discontinuance or alteration of the services previously agreed to be performed by them by any train or carriage specially required by the PostmasterGeneral to be forwarded for the conveyance of the mails, but so that nevertheless such increased or diminished services shall not be suspended, postponed, or deferred by reason of the amount of such increased or diminished remuneration not having been then fixed or agreed on between the Postmaster-General and such company of proprietors, or by reason of the award on any reference to

arbitration to determine the amount of such increased or Conveyance diminished remuneration not having been then made.

of Mails.

General

8. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Postmaster-General and he is hereby authorized, at any Postmaster time during the continuance of the services of any com- may termipany of proprietors as aforesaid, to give to such company, nate service by writing under his hand, six calendar months' previous of company notice that such services or any part thereof shall cease on notice. and determine; and thereupon, at the expiration of such six calendar months' notice, the said services, or such part thereof as aforesaid, and the remuneration for the same, shall cease and determine.

9. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Postmaster Postmaster-General at any time during the continuance General of the services of any company of proprietors as aforesaid, may termiby notice in writing under his hand, absolutely to deter- nate sermine and put an end to the same or any part thereof, vices of without giving any previous notice, or on giving any company notice less than six calendar months in respect thereof, without and thereupon the said services shall cease and determine previous notice, but accordingly: Provided nevertheless, that in case the if without Postmaster-General shall, without giving six calendar cause, months' notice as aforesaid, at any time determine the compensaservices to be required by the Postmaster-General of any tion to be company of proprietors, or any part of such services, made to without any cause whatever, or for any cause other than company. the default by such company of proprietors in the performance of any of the services to be required of them by the Postmaster-General, or the breach by such company of proprietors of any of their engagements with the Postmaster-General, then and in any such case the PostmasterGeneral shall make to such company a full and fair compensation for all loss thereby occasioned, the amount whereof in case the parties differ about the same shall be ascertained by arbitration as hereinafter mentioned.

10. And be it enacted, That on all carriages to be pro- Royal arms vided for the service of the post-office on any such railway, to be paintthere shall on the outside be painted the royal arms, in ed on carlieu of the name of the owner and of the number of the riages procarriage, and of all other requisites, if any, prescribed by vided for law in respect of carriages passing on any such rail the service of the postway; but the want of such royal arms on any carriage office. belonging to or used by the post-office shall not form an objection to such carriage running on any railway, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

11. And be it enacted, That it shall not be competent Bye-laws of or lawful to or for the company of proprietors of any company railway to make any bye-laws, orders, rules, or regulations which shall militate against or be contrary or re- pugnant to

not to be re

Conveyance pugnant to any of the enactments herein contained; and of Mails. that if any company of proprietors shall make or shall

have made any such bye-laws, orders, rules, or regulaprovisions tions, either prior or subsequently to the Postmasterof this Act. General signifying to the said company his intention that the mails or post letter bags, mail coaches, carts, or carriages shall be conveyed by such railway, all such bye laws, orders, rules, and regulations, SO far as they shall militate against or be contrary or repugnant to any of the enactments herein contained, shall be and be deemed absolutely void and of no effect, in like manner as if such bye-laws, orders, rules, or regulations, had never been made or passed, anything to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

Penalty for 12. And be it enacted, That if the company of prorefusing or prietors of any railway, or any of their respective officers, neglecting servants, or agents, shall refuse or neglect to carry or

to convey mails,

convey any mails or post letter bags, when tendered to them for such purpose by the Postmaster-General or any officer of the post-office, or shall refuse to carry on their railway any mail coaches, carts, or carriages as hereinbefore provided, when so required by the PostmasterGeneral, or shall refuse or neglect to receive, take up, deliver, and leave any such mails or post letter bags, mail guards, or other officers of the post-office, mail coaches, carts, or carriages, at such places, at such times, on such days, and subject to such regulations and restrictions as to speed of travelling, places, times, and duration of stoppages, as the Postmaster-General shall from time to time reasonably direct or appoint, as hereinbefore provided, or shall not obey, observe, and perform all such regulations serve regu- respecting the conveyance of the mails and post letter lations of bags, mail coaches, carts, and carriages on any such railPostmaster ways as the Postmaster-General or such officer of the post-office as he shall nominate in that behalf, shall make for the purposes aforesaid, then and in any such case the company of proprietors who, or whose officer, servant, or agent, shall so offend in the premises, shall for every such offence forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding twenty pounds; provided nevertheless, that the payment of or liability to such penalty shall not in any manner lessen or affect the liability of any such company under any bond which may have been given by them under the provisions hereinafter contained.

or to ob

General.

Company to 13. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the give sePostmaster-General, if he shall so think fit, to require the curity by company of proprietors of any railway already made or in bond when progress, or to be hereafter made within the United Kingrequired dom, to give security by bond to her Majesty, her heirs and successors, conditioned to be void if such company Conveyance shall from time to time carry or convey, or cause to be of Mails. carried or conveyed, all such mails or post letter bags, mail guards, and other officers of the post-office, mail coaches, carts, and carriages in manner hereinbefore menticned, when thereunto required by the PostmasterGeneral, or any officer of the post-office duly authorized for that purpose, and shall receive, take up, deliver, and leave all such mails or post letter bags, guards and officers, mail coaches, carts, and carriages, at such places, at such times, on such days, and subject to such regulations and restrictions as to speed of travelling, places, times, and duration of stoppages, as hereinbefore mentioned, and shall obey, observe, and perform all such regulations respecting the same as the Postmaster-General shall reasonably make, and shall well and truly do and perform, and cause to be done and performed, all such other acts, matters, and things, as by this Act are required or directed to be done or performed by or on the part or behalf of such company, their officers, servants, and agents; and every such bond shall be taken in such sum and in such form as the Postmaster-General shall think proper; and every such security shall be renewed from time to time Such secuwhenever and so often as such bond shall be forfeited, and rity to be also whenever and so often as the Postmaster-General renewed shall in his discretion require the same to be renewed; from time and if any company of proprietors of any such railway as to time. aforesaid shall, when so required as aforesaid, refuse or neglect, for the space of one calendar month next after the delivery of any notice for such purpose to them given by or from the Postmaster-General, to execute to her Majesty, her heirs and successors, such bond to the effect and in manner aforesaid, or shall at any time refuse or neglect to renew such bond whenever and so often as the same shall, by or in pursuance of this Act, be required quired to be renewed, such company of proprietors shall forfeit hundred pounds for every day during the period for which there shall be any refusal, neglect, or default to give or renew such security as aforesaid, after the expiration of the said one calendar month.

one

14. Provided always, and be it enacted, That in all Lessees not cases in which any railway or part of a railway may, pre- being a vious to the passing of this Act, have been demised or let body corby the company of proprietors thereof, the body corporate company or company, or other persons to whom the same shall have been so demised or let, their successors, executors, quired to administrators, or assigns, shall during the continuance of give secusuch lease be liable to all the provisions of this Act for or rity above in respect of such railway or part of a railway, in lieu of 1000l.

porate or

not to be reAfter con

Conveyance such company of proprietors, but so that such lessees, (not of Mails. being a body corporate or company,) their executors, administrators, or assigns, shall not be required in respect of any such railway or part of a railway to give security under the foregoing enactment to any amount in any one bond exceeding the sum of one thousand pounds, and shall not in any one year be liable in damages to be recovered upon any bonds which they may have given to any amount exceeding the sum of one thousand pounds and costs of suit.

Service of notices.

Differences

between

15. And be it enacted, That all notices under the provisions of this Act by or on behalf of the PostmasterGeneral to any company of proprietors of any railway as aforesaid, shall be considered as duly served on any company of proprietors in case the same shall be given or delivered to any one or more of the directors of such company, or to the secretary or clerk of such company, or be left at any station belonging to such company.

16. And be it enacted, That in all cases in which the Postmaster-General and any company of proprietors of

Postmaster any railway shall not be able to agree on the amount of

General

and com

pany to be

remuneration or compensation to be paid by the Postmaster-General to such company of proprietors for any services performed or to be performed by them as hereinsettled by before mentioned, the same shall be referred to the award arbitration. of two persons, one to be named by the PostmasterGeneral, and the other by such company; and if such two persons cannot agree on the amount of such remuneration or compensation, then to the umpirage of some third person, to be appointed by such two first-named persons previously to their entering upon the inquiry; and the said award or umpirage, as the case may be, shall be binding and conclusive on the said parties, and their respective successors and assigns.

17. And be it enacted, That after any contract entered tracts have into or award made under the authority of this Act shall have continued in operation for a period of three years, it three years, shall be competent for any railway company who may consider themselves aggrieved by the terms of remuneration fixed by such contract or award, by notice under their common seal, to require that it shall be referred to arbitrators to determine whether any and what alteration ought to be made therein; and thereupon such arbitrators or umpire to be appointed as hereinbefore mentioned shall proceed to inquire into the circumstances, and make their award therein, as in the case of an original agreement: Provided always, that the services performed by such railway company for the post-office shall in nowise be interrupted or impeded thereby.

existed

company may refer them to

arbitrators

to decide as

to their continu

ance.

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