Washington telegraph., 1851-03-19
Form of Certificate.

~
Form of Certificate.
The undersigned, postmaster of cert hes
that he is well acquainted with the guarantors
above named and their property, and that they
are sufficient and able to make good their guar
anty.
INSTRUCTIONS.
Embracing certain conditions, aohich 1oiH be
incorporated in the contracts.
/. Seven minutes are allowed for opening and
closing the mails at all offices where no particular
time is specified; but on railroad and steamboat
routes there is to be more delay than is neces-
sary TO deliver and receive the bags.
2. The mail be conveyed in prefence to pas
sengers and their entire exclusion, if its weight
aud bulk require it.
3. Post office blanks, mail bags, and the spe-
cial agents of the Department, on the exhibition
Of their credentials, are to be conveyed without
further charge, on mail lines admitting oil such
conveyance.
f. Mail agents are to be conveyed without
charge on the principal railroad and steamboat
lines, where the size of the mails and number OF
the offices will require their employment by the
Department; and, in that case, "a separate apart
men,, for the exclusive use Of the Department mt
and agent for the asserting and safe-keePng Of
the mail is to be provided by the contractor, and
under The direction Of the Department.
s. In all cases there is to be "a forfeiture Of the
pay of the rip when the trip is not run; and OF
not more than three times the pay OF the trip
when the trip is not run, and no sufncieht excuse
for the failure is furnished, forfeiture OF al least
one-fourth part Of it when the running or arrival
is so far behind time to lose the connexIon with
a depending mail; and forfeiture oil a due pro
portion of it when grade of service is rendered
inferior tc that in the contract. These fortetures
NAV be increased into penalties OF higher amount,
according the nature or frequency OF the failure
aud the Importance of the mail
g. Fines will be imposed unless the Delinquency
be satisfactorily explained IN due time, tor iailug
to take from or deliver at post office, the mail,
or any part of it, for suffering it TO be wet injured,
lost, or destroyed; or conveying it IN place or
manner that expose it to depreciation, loss, or nu-
nv; for refusing after demand to convey mail by
any coach, railroad car, or steamboat, WHICH the
contractor regularly runs on the route beyond the
specified number of trips in the contract, and tor
not arriving at the time set; and tor setting up or
running an express to transmit commercial nteilI-
gence in advance Of the mail, penalty VIII De
exacted equal TO one quarters pay.
T. The Postmaster General may anDul the con-
tract for repeated failures; for violating the post
office la ws; for disobeying the instructions OF the
Department. for refusing to discharge carrier
when required by the Department.; for assigning
the contract without tie consent OF the Postnas-
ter General, or for setting up or running an ex-
press aforesaid.
&. The Postmaster General may alter the con-
tract, and alter the schedule, he allowing a pro
rata increase OF ofcompensaion, within the restflc-
tons imposed by law, for tbs addition II service
required, or for the Increased speed. II the EN-
poylneut Of additional stock Carriers Is render
ed necessary; but the contractor may, IN SUCH
case rrnauish the contract, ON timely notice, II
he prefers it to the change. lhe postmaster
General may annu the contract or cuTtaii the
service and pay, when he wishes to dispense with
the service, in whole or in part or place higher
or different grade Of service on the route, he al
lowing one ulsAth's extra pay on the amount. dis
pensed with.
9. The payments will be made through drafts
on post offices otherwise. after the expiration
of each quarier-say in February, May, August,
and November.
10. The distances are given according to the
best information; but DO increased pay will be al
lowed should they prove to be greater than Is ad-
yertised, if the places are correctly named
H. The Postmaster General is prohibited By
law from knowingly making contract tor the
transportation of the mail with any person who
shall have entered into any c.mblnutIcn' or pro-
posed to enter INTO any continuation, 10 prevent
the making Of any bid Tor a mail contract by any
other person or persons, or who shall have made
any agreement, or shall have giveh or performed,
or promised to give or perform, any consideration
to do or not to do any thing whatever to induce
any other person not to bid FOR mail contract
Particular attention is called 10 the 18th section
Of the ac, of 1886, PROHIBITING conbin atoms to
prevent bidding.
ID A bid received after time, to wit, the lst of
April next at 10 a m, without the guaranty re
oured by law, or that combines several roHtes IN
one sum of compensation, cannot be considered
in competition with the regular proposal not ad-
judged to be extravagant.
l3 A bidder may offer, where the transporta-
"a ..,tlf
inpracticabIe at certain ns,to substitute an
interior mode of conveyance, or to intermit SER
vice specified number Of days, weeks, or months
He may propose to omit an office that IS inacceSsi-
ble or is the stage road; the railway, or at
a steamboat landing, rs the may be, or lie
NAV offer to substitute inferior mode of supply
in such cases. He may propose different days
and hours of departure and arrival, provided no
more running time is asked, and it is obvious that
no mail connexion or other public accommodations
is prejudiced.' He may ask for more running
time to the trip, during specified plumber OF days,
at certain of peculiarly bad roads, but be-
yonG these changes, proposal Tor service differ
eut from The advertisement will prevent It's being
considered in competition with the regular bid not
set aside for extravagance; and where bid cor
tans any of the above alterations, their disadvan
tages vii. be estimated in comparing it with other
proposals.
IA. There should be bat one route bid for in a
proposal.
Is The route, the service, the yearly pay,
the bidders name and residence, aud the name OF
each member of the firm, where company offers,
should be distinctly stated; also the mode OF con-
veyance, if higher mode than on hourSebach Is
intended.
.l6 The bid should be sent under seal, address,
ed TO the First Assistant Postmaster General with
"Mai Proposals in the State or Territory of -
written on the face of the letter; and should DO
dispatched in time to be received by or before the
list of April uext, at III o'clock A. M. 1t should
be guaranteed, and the suffciency OF the guaran-
tors be duly certified. (See form.)