Southern shield., 1851-02-08
INSTRUCTIONS,
Embracing certain conditions, 1Chich acW .
 incOrp0raLed ill the c0ntrAcLs.

EUIOIUCUtB CCILutt COjtttttO!tS, tCfttCB ttNt O6
 incorporated 61 He contracts. 1. Seven minutes are allowed for opening and closing the mails at all offices where no particu- lar time is specified; but on railroad and steam boat routes there is to be no more delay than is necessary 10 deliver and receive the bags ?. The mail to be conveyed in preference to passengers, and to their entire exclusion, if its we fight and bulk require 1t.
 3. Post Office blanks, mail bags, and the special agents of the Department, on the exhi- biion of their credentials, are to be conveyed without further charge, on mail lines admitting | of such conveyance.
 | f. Mail agents are 10 De conveyed without charge on the principal railroad and steamboat l lines, where the size of the mails and number of the offices will require their employment by the Department; and, in that case, separate Apartment, for the exclusive use of the Depart ment and Agent, for the asserting and safe keeping of the mail is to be provided by the contractor, and under the direction of the De- Ipartment.
 ,. In all eases there is to be a forfeiture of thepay of the trip when the tripis notrun; and of not more than three times the pay of the trip when the trip is not run, and no sufficient eX cuse 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 conneXion with depending mail and for feiture of adue proportion oft when grade of service Is rendered inferior 10 that in the con tract. These forieitures may be increased into penalties of higher amount, according to the nature or frequency of the failure and the i'm portance of the mail.
 6. Fines will be imposed unless the delin- quency be satisfactorily explained in due time, for failing to take from, or deliver at, post of
 flee, the mail, or any par, of 1t; for suffering it to Dc wet, injured, lost or destroyed; or con veying 1t in a place or manner that exposes it to | depreciation, loss, or injury; for refusing after demand to convey mail by any coach, railroad car, or steamboat, which the contractor regular l ly runs on the route beyond the specified num- Der of trips in the contract and for not arriving at the time set and for setting up or running an express to trans init commercial intelligence in advance of the mail, penalty will be exact ed equal to quarters pay.
 1 '. The Postmaster General may annul the contract for repeated failures; for violating the Post Office laws for disobeving the instruc- | tons of the Department; for refusing to dis charge carrier when required by the Depart ment; for assigning lhe contract without the consentof the Postmaster General, or for setting TT 0' running express as aforesaid
 $. The Postmaster General may alter the 1 rata increase of compensauon, within the re- srictions 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 contractor may, in such case, rellnquish the contract on timely notice, if he prefers 1t to the change. The Postmaster General may annul the contract or curtail the service and pay, when he wishes to dispense with the service i'll whole or in part, or place a higher CT different grade of service on the route, he allowing one months extra pay on the amount dispensed with.
 g. The payments will be made through Idrans on Post Offices or otherwise, after the ex- Ipiration of each quarter-say in February, May, August, and November.
 10. The distances are given according to the Ibest 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 the transportation of the mail with any person lwho shall have entered into any combination, Tor proposed to enter into any combination, to Iprevent the making of any bid for mail con- tract 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 form, any consideration to do. or not to do, any thing whatever to induce any other person not Ito bid for mail contract. Particular attention lis called to the 28th section of the act of 1886 Iprohibiting combinations to prevent bidding. 12. bid received after time, to wit, the Isl Iof April next, at 10 m, or without the guaran- fly required by law, or that combines several