Southern shield., 1851-02-22
INSTRUCTIONS,

l incorporated in Me contracts. l 1. Seven minutes are allowed for opening and closing the mails at all offices where no partcu- lar time is specified; but on railroad and steam iboat routes there is to be no more delay than IS necessary to deliver and receive the bags.
 ?. The mail to be conveyed in preference to passengers, and to their entire exclusion, if its we ight and bulk require 1t.
 1 3. Post Office blanks, mail bags, and the special agents of the Department, on the eXhl- | bition of their credentials, are to be conveyed without further charge, on mail lines admitting of such conveyance.
 | 4. 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 lthp Department; and in that raso, ooPoroto lapartment for the exclusive use of the Depart lment and Agent, for the asserting and safe keeping of the mail is to be provided by the Icontractor, and under the direction of the De- Ipartment.
 5. In all cases there is to be forfeiture of thep pay of the trip when the trip is notrun; and Iof not more than three times the pay of the trip when the trip is not run, and no sufficient eX- Icuse for the failure is furnished, forfeiture of at least one-fourth part of it when the running or arrival is so far behind time as to loose the lconnexion with depending mail and for feiture of due proportion oft when grade of service is rendered inferior to that in the con- ltract. These forfeitures may be increased into penalties of higher amount, according to the mature or frequency of the failure and the i'm lportance of the mail.
 6. Fines will be imposed unless the delin- uuency be satisfactorily explained in due time
 for failing to take from, or deliver at, post of
 flee, the mail or any part of 1t; for suffering il
 to be wet injured, lost, or destroyed; or con
 veying it in place or manner that exposes it to ldepredation, loss, or injury; for refusing after
 demand to convey mail by any coach, railroad lear, or steamboat, which the contractor regular l ly runs on the route beyond tn specified mum
 ber of trips in the contract, and for not arriving at the time set and for setting up or running Ian express to transmit commercial intelligence in advance of the mail, penalty will be exact } led equal to a quarter pay
 7. The Postmaster General may annul the contract for repeated failures; for violating the Post Office laws for disobeving the instruc Itions of the Department; for refusing to dis charge carrier when required by the Depart
 ment; for assigning the contract without the consent of the Postmaster General, for setting
 up or running an express as aforesaid.
 8. The Postmaster General may alter the contract, and alter the schedule he allowing pro
 rata increase of compensation, within the re service required, or for the increased speed i
 the employment of additional stock or carrier. is rendered necessary; but the contractor may
 in such case, relinquish the contract on timely notice, if he prefers 1t to the change. The
 Postmaster General may annul the contract o1
 curail the service and pay, when he wishes te dispense with the service, in whole or in part
 or place higher or different grade of service on the route, he allowing one months extra pay
 on the amount dispensed with.
 } 9. The payments will be made throupl Idrafs on Post Offices or otherwise, after the ex |piration of each quarter-say in February May, August, and November.
 : 10. The distances are given according to the best information but no increased pay will be ; allowed, should they prove to be greater than IS advertised, if the places are correctly named.
 II. The Postmaster General is prohibited by law from knowingly making contract for lthe transportation of the mail with any person Iwho shall have entered into any combination. Tor proposed to enter into any combination, to Iprevent the making of any bid for mail con- ltract by any other person or persons, or who Ishall have made any agreement, or shall have Igiven or performed, or promised to give or per- Iform, any consideration to do. or not to do, any lthing whatever to induce any other person not Ito bid for mail contract Particular attention lis called to the 29th section of the act of 1886, prohibiting combinations to prevent bidding. 12. bid received after time, to wit the lst of April next, at 10 a m,' Or without the guaran- lty required by law, or that combines several