The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-27
Post Office advertisement Mails to Europe
the Gulf of .Merico, and the Pacific.

of the United States and port or ports of any for
eign power, whenever, in his opinion, the public in
terests will thereby be promoted" hereby invite
PROPOSALS for carrying the mails Of the United States
as herein specified, to wit:
l. From New York to Liverpool, in England, and
/ back;
| Or to Bristol, in England, and back;
/ Or to Southampton do do.
g. From New York, by Cowes, in England, to
Antwerp, in Belgium and back;
| Or TO Bremen, in Germany, and back;
/ Orto Hamburg, in Germany, and back.
| 3. From New York to Havre, in France, and
| Or to Brest, in France, and back
4. From New York to Lisbon, in Portugal, and
| back. sb
S. From New York, by Havana, in Cuba, to New
! Orleans, and back.
| 6. From New York, by Havana, or by King
| ston in Jamaica, to Chagres, in Colon
| bia, and back; with joint or separate
offers to extend the transportation to
| Panama, and up the Pacific, to the mouth
ofthe Columbia, and thence TO the princi.
pal port in the Sandwich Islands;
Or from Charleston to the same, and back;
Or from Pensacola do do do.
Or from Mobile do do do.
Or from New Orleans do do do.
| 7. From New Orleans to Havana, and back; with
an offer to extend to Kingston, in the ISL
| and Of Jamaica;
Or from Mobile to the same, and back;
| Or from Pensacola to the same, and back;
Or from Charleston to the same, and back,
N with an offer to supply Key West.
/ Proposals for commencing said routes at any 9TH
er United States port the Atlantic, than above
named, will be considered.
II is intended, out of the foregoing list of routes,
to make selection Of one TO Europe, and one TO the
Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific, as may best be de-
termincd, after proposals for service on all the
routes are submitted-not relinquishing, however,
the right TO place greater number in operation, If
it shall be deemed expedient to do 30.
The proposals should specify the number of trips
to be performed during the year, and as near as
may be, the day of the month on which the vessel
conveying the mail is TO depart from the port at
each end Of the route. The department contem-
plates on route No !, semi-monthly conveyance
for eight months Of the year, and a monthly con-
veyance for the residue Of the year; No. q like
frequent conveyance; and on No 3, the same; on
No. 4, monthly conveyance; on No. S, as frequent
transportation as two or three times month; on
No. g. a trip once in two months; and on No. 7,
twice or three times month,
The proposals should specify the mode of con-
veyance, whether by steamship or sailing-packet
and set forth the size, rate, and description of the
vessel, with sufficient particularly to enable the de-
cison to be made the advice Of the proper officers
of the naval service, whether the same is or is not
convertible into a ship of-war. And special notice
is hereby given that agreeaby the provisions Of
the act Of Congress- aforesaid, those proposals
(being acceptable in other respects) will be pre-
ferred, which shall engage to carry the mail in
Steam ship or ships, and shall stipuate to de-
liver said ship or ships to the United States, or
to their proper officer, demand made, for
the purpose Of being converted into a vessel
or vessels Of war the United States being bound, on
their part to pay the fair full value thereof at the
time Of delivery TO be ascertaned by four npprais-
ers, appointed two by the President of the United
States, and two by the owner or owners, with an
umpire, in case Of disagreement to he appointed by
the President of the United States
1t should be shown, by the certificate of post
MASTER or other equivalent testimony that the bid
dcrs American citizens, and that the mail is to
be transported by them sin American vessels, by
American citizens"
The postage fixed by law upon mailable matter to
be transported by these lines, is as follows: upon
all letters and packages not exceeding half ounce
in weight, between any of the ports of the United
States and the ports Of England, or France, or any
other foreign port not less than three thousand miles
Distant t,oentyfour cens with the inland postage Of
the United States added when sent through the Uni
ted States mail to or from the post Office port of
the United States. Upon letters and packets over
half an ounce in weight, and not exceeding one
ounce, forty eight cents; and for every additional half
ounce, or fraction Of an ounce, fifteen cenis. Upon
all letters and packets exceeding one half ounce
sent through the United States mail, between
the ports Of the United States and any of the West
India islands, or islands in the Gulf of Mexico,
ten cents; and i,centy cents upon letters and pack
cts not exceeding one ounce; and fve eenis for
every additional half ounce fraction of ounce.
Upon each newspaper, pamphlet, or price-current,
in the mail between the United States and any
Of tho ports and places above enumerated, three
cenis with inland United States postage added when
the same is transported TO from said port of the
United States, in the United States mail" The
bidder may propose for an annual sum of compen-
saton, to be named inhe bid; or, in lieu thereof for
the whole or certain proportion Ito be named in
the bd) of the hostages accrung on the mail-mater
conveyed over the route
He may embrace in his offer stipulation to carry
an agent of the Post Office Department with the
mails, or he may omit it, at his discretion Such
stipulation may induce preference to be given in
favor of bid equal in other respects, over bid
not containing it.
Indentures of contract are TO be executed by the
accented bidder and by his suretes, by or before |
the first day Of May next. Il is to provide, among
other things, that the pay of the trip is TO be forfeit
ed when the trip is not performed, and a due pro-
portion when grade of service is rendered inferior
to that specified in the contract; and that fines may
be imposed unless the delinquency be satisfactorily
explained in due time, for failing to take from, or
to deliver into, the post Office at the port Of landing
the mail belonging thereto, any part of said mail;
wet, injured, lost, or destroyed; for convey
ing il in place or manner that exposes it to
depreciation, loss, or injury; for refusing, after
demand made, to convey a mail by any addi-
tonal steam ship vessel run by the contractor
the route, over and above the specified number Of
trips in the contract and for not arriving at the time
set also for transmitting intelligence, or furnishing
the means Of transmitting intelligence, in advance Of
the mail. The Postmaster General may annul the con-
tract for repeated faures for violating the post Of
fee laws; for disobeying the instructions Of the de-
parmcnt for refusing TO discharge carrier when
required by the department; for assigning the con-
tract without the consent Of the Postmaster General
for setting up or running an express, as aforesaid
The Postmaster General may alter the contract,
and alter the schedule, he allowing pro rata increase
of compensation, within the restrictions imposed by |
law for the additional service required, or for the
increased speed, if the employment Of additional
stock or carriers is rendered necessary; but the
tractor mny, in such case renquish the CONTRACTS on