144 The Northern Mariner / Le marin du nord receipts [and] auditing accounts."19 To resolve potential impasses the arrangements assigned votes to each participant generally in proportion to the number of vessels they represented within the terms of the agreement. Shared expenses included the joint operations of agencies in Montreal, Quebec, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo, and an independent Kingston accountant who was empowered to examine the books of the participating vessels. He was particularly concerned with the pooling and redistribution of 60 per cent of each vessel's freight and passenger revenues as well as the receipts from the troop contract. During subsequent annual renegotiations these pooling arrangements would expand to incorporate the postal contract.20 Given that two of the signatories were freight forwarding partnerships, one of which was anxious to run a line of freight steamers on Lake Ontario, the parties gave some attention to limiting the solicitation of business outside their 19 Ibid., section 5. 20 Ibid., sections 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 23. Hon. John Hamilton (Library and Archives Canada)