The Short Title of this Act shall be “The Government Officers Guarantee Act 1870.”

It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council from time to time to make alter revoke and make anew regulations for the establishment of a system of mutual guarantee by all the servants of the Government of New Zealand or by the servants of the said Government with such exceptions as the Governor in Council shall from time to time determine or by the members of any class or classes of such servants of the fidelity of each other and to provide for making calls from time to time upon the said servants with such exceptions (if any) as aforesaid or upon the servants in any such class or classes as the case may he and for deducting from time to time the amount of such calls from the salary and other sums payable to such servants and for applying the moneys so collected in payment of the whole or any part of the sums of public or other money which shall from time to time come to the possession or control of any such servant to whom any such regulation shall apply by virtue or by reason of his office service or employment and which may not be duly accounted for by him or which may be misapplied or embezzled by him or lost through his want of integrity or honesty.

So long as the fidelity of any such servant shall be guaranteed under the system so to be established no enactment whereby such servant shall be bound to give security by bond or the guarantee of any Society or otherwise than under this Act shall apply to such Officer.

It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council by any such regulations as aforesaid to provide that when any calls are made under any such regulations upon any such servants or class of servants a call for a sum not exceeding one-fortieth of the total amount of such other calls shall be made upon the Consolidated Fund and that when any such call is so made the Colonial Treasurer shall pay the amount of such call out of the Consolidated Fund.

All regulations made under this Act shall (until revoked or altered) have the force of law.

This Act shall not apply to Judges of the Supreme Court or to any officers of the Legislature or to members of the Armed Constabulary Force or to any officer or servant whose salary is less than seventy-five pounds per annum nor shall it apply to Sheriffs or Curators of Intestate Estates or Registrars of the Supreme Courts except so far as such Sheriffs Curators and Registrars act as Receivers of fees fines or other public moneys or Crown property And generally this Act shall not apply to persons filling offices the holders of which either under the express provisions of any law for the time being in force or by the practice of the Civil Service are not required to give security for the performance of their duties and in any regulations to be made under the second section of this Act it shall be declared to what offices the said regulations shall apply and as to all offices specified therein such specification shall be conclusive on all parties and the said regulations shall be deemed to apply to the holders of such offices as if the same had been expressly declared in this Act to be subject thereto.