The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-05
NOTES.

NOTES.
l. Seven minutes are allowed for opening and
closing the mails at Ill Offices where no particular
time is specified; but on railroad and steamboat
routes there is to be no more delay than necessary
to deliver and receive the bags.
The mail is to be conveyed in preference 10
passengers and to their entire exclusion IT It's weight
and bulk require 1t.
3. A preference is to be given to passeng rs
brought in the connecting mail lines over those
travelling in any other.
a. Post Office banks mail bags and the special
agents of the Department, the exhibition OF their
credentials, to be conveyed without further
charge on mail lines admitting OF such convey ance
5. Mail agents are to conveyed without charge
on the principal railroad and steamboat lines, where
the size of the mails and the number of Offices
will require their employment by the Department,
and in that separate apartment for the assort
ing and safe keeping of the mail, is to be provided
by the contractor under the direction OF the De-
partment.
6. In all cases. there is to be forfeiture of the
pay of the trip, when the trip not run; forfeiture
of at least one-fourth part oft, when the running or
arrival is far behind time as to lose the connection
with depending mail, and forfeiture OF due
proportion of it, when grade of service is rendered
inferior to that in the contract. These forfeures
may be increased into penalties of higher amount,
according the nature frequency OF the failure
and the Importance of the mail.
T. Fines will be imposed, unless the delinquency
be satisfactorily explained in due lime, FOR falling
to take from, deliver at post office, the mail, or
any part of it for suffering It to be wst injured,
lost or destroyed; for conveying it in a place or
that exposes It to depreciation, loss, or in
ury; for refusing after demand to convey mail by
any coach, railroad car, or steamboat, which the
contractor regularly runs the route, beyond the
soeclfied number OF trips IN the contracts and tor
not arriving at the time set And tor setting up or
running an express to transmit commercial ntelli
gence in advance Of the NAL, penalty will be ex
acted equal 10 quarters pay.
8 The Postmaster General may annul the
tract for repeated failuIes for violating the Post
Office laws; for disobeyng the instructions OF the
Departments for refusing to discharge a carrier
when required by the Department. for assigning the
contract without The consent of The Postmaster Gen
eral, or for setting up OF running an express as
aforesaid.
The Postmaster General may alter the contract,
and alter the sche dule, he allowing pro rata Of
crease of compensation, within the restrictions I'M
posed by law for the additional service required,
or for the increased speed, if the employment in
additional stock or carriers is rendered necessary
but the contractor may, in such case, renqu sh the
contract, Timely notice, if he prefers 1t to the
change He may also discontinue curtail the
service, he allowing months extra pay on the
amount dispensed with.
TO- The payments will be made through drafts
on post offices otherwise, after the expiration OF
each quarter, say in February, May, August, and
November.
IL. The distances are given according to the best
information; but increased pay will be allowed,
should they prove to be greater than is advertised
if the places correctly named.
~ The Postmaster General is prohibited by law
from knowingly making contract for the transport
tation Of the mail with any person who shall have
entered into any combination, or proposed to enter
into any combination, to prevent the making of any
bid for mail contract by any other person or per-
sons or who shall have made any agreement,
shall have given performed, OF promised TO give
or perform, consideration to do or not to do,
anything whatever to induce any other person not
to bid for mail contract
49, On coach routes where the present contractor
shall be superseded by an underbidder, who may
not have the stage property requisite for the per-
Torrance ofthe contract, he shall purchase from the
present contractor such of his coaches teams, and
harness belonging to the route as shall be needed,
and may be suitable for the service, at fair valua
ton; and make payment therefor by reasonable in
stalments, his pay becomes due, unless the pre-
sent contractor shall continue to run stages on the
route. Should they not agree as to the suitabeness
of the property, the terms, or the security each
may choose a person who may appoint third, and
their decision shall be final; the Postmaster Gen
elal will name the umpire. Should the underbldder
fail to comply, his bid will be offered to The
tractor; but should he decline it, the proposals o
| the underbidder will be accepted Internationally.
The underbidder should give early notice of his in
tention to take or not take the stock, and if the
latter of his reasons; and the present contractor
to dete rmne, on the first application, whether be
will sell it or not.
Ia. bid received after time, to witt the l4th
April next at m, or without tee guarantee re-
quired by law; or that combines several routes in
one sum of compensation, cannot be considered in
competition with regular proposal, not adJudSed
| to be exravagant
Is A bidder may offer on coach, railroap, or
steamboat routes where that transportation is diff
cult impractcabe at certain seasons, TO substitute
horse wagon conveyance, or to lntermt service,
specified number of days, weeks, months He
may propose to omit office that is inaccessible,
is not on the Stage road, the railway, at steam
boat landing as the may be, he may offer to
substitute inferior mode of supply in such cases
He may propose different days and hours of depart
ure and arrival, provided running time IL
asked, and it is obv Gus that mail connection or
other public accommodation is prejudiced. lie
may ask for specified number of days for more
running time to the trip at certain seasons of
liar bad roads. But beyond these changes, pro-
posaI for service different from the advertisement
will prevent its being considered in competition
with regular bid, not set aside for extravaganza
and where bid contains any of the above aItera-
TONS their disadvantages will be estimated in COM
pairing it with other proposals.
16 There should be but one route bid for in a
proposal.
| II. The route, the service, the yearly pay, the
bidders name and residence, and the name of each
member of the firm, where company offers, should
be distinctly stated
10. The following is the form of the guaranty
which should be filled, the first blank with the
name of the guarantor, the second with that Of the
bidder and the third and fourth with the begin
ming and terminating points of the routes and after
being dated, should be signed by the g,iarantor,
| who must be shown by the written certificate of a
postmaster, other equally satisfactory testmo-
nia to be a man of property, and able to make