Daily American telegraph., 1851-12-27
FURNISHING MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.


TT being desirable to substitute locks and keys of
other kind for those in use for the mail service
OF the United States specimen locks and Keys with pro
posals furnish the viii be received and considered
the Post Office Department until the first day of July
The different locks will be submitted to commits
sion for examination and report. Upon this report
tracts WILL practicable, be entered into for fur
nishng such locks and keys for four years. with the right
the part of the Postmaster General for the time being
to extend and continue the contract in force for add
onal term Of four years by giving to the contractor
written notice to that effect not than nine less
than six months before the termination Of the first term
of four years.
with view of procuring the best lock at the lowest
price, kind Of lock is prescribed standard the De-
partment relying for selection the mechanical skill
and ingenuity which fair competition, invited may
develop. is however, proper to state that lock suit
able for the mail service should possess the following quail
ities viz durability uniformity ghtness and strength
For the purpose of displacng simultaneously all the
mail locks and keys now in use about thirty thousand
locks and twenty thousand thereto will be
required to be furnished by the contractor within
months after the contract shall have been entered into
afterwards the annual supply will depend the dura
by of the locks and keys adopted, as well as the in
of the mail service; but it will probably
ceed In amount three thousand Of the former and
thousand of the latter.
No lock will be considered II 1t be like any already in
general use viii any with whom the contract
may be made be allowed to make, SELL furnish any
lock or key similar contracted for any other
purpose than that Of the Post Office Department
The kind of lock adopted must be patented and the pa
tenee win be required on entering into contract TO make
an assignment Of his patent for the exclusive ben
eft of the Department If the Postmaster General shall
deem such requirement essential to the interests of the
service of the failure Of the contractor any
time 10 fulfil faithfully the terms and conditions of his
contract the Postmaster General shall have the right
besides a resort to the penal remedy hereinafter
TONED annul said contract and contract with
any other party parties he may See m for furnishing
similar locks and keys.
In deciding upon the proposals and specimens offered,
the Postmaster General may deem 1t eKpeent TO select
for the through mails the lock Of bidder and for the
way mails that of another He reserves therefore the
right Of contracting with different individuals for such
different kinds of locks he may select and also the
right to reject all the specimens and proposals. if he shall
that the interest Of the The
party parties contracting will be required give bond
with ample security in the Of thirty thousand dol
lars for faithful performance Of the contract The
tract is contain provisions for the due proper
specton of the locks and keys and also for guarding
against their passing into improper hands, the terms of
these provisions to be arranged between the Department
and the successful bidder, IL bid should be accepted
No application will be considered If not accompanied
with satisfactory evidence OF the trustworthy character
the bidder, and of his ability to fulfil the contract
N X. HALL,
"a Postmaster General