The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-24
FOREIGN EIAIE.

IAN act to provide for tr. monthly mail from
| New Orleans to Vera Cnz via Tampico, and
back, in steam vessels
| "Be il enacted 6y the Sente and House of Rerne-
sentatires Of the United Sotes Of america in Con-
gress assembled, That the Postmaster General be
and he 10 hereby authorizd and directed to enter
| into a contract for a term OF five years. and Tor
sum not exceeding one Kindred thousand dollars
| a year, with such persoJ persons as may offer
sufficient and satisfactory security, after due pub
lie notice. for the Transportation OF the nails OF the
United States, upon thtbest terms for the United
States, three times ninth from New Orleans, via
Tampco, to Vera Cruz and back, in steam vessels
| of not less than eight hundred tons burden, of the
best form of construction adapted to the nav gaton
Of the southern wates, the same to be ready in the
shortest possible timf'-
PROPOSALS
Will be received at he Contract Office of the Post
Office Department, in the city of Washington, I'M
til 3 O'Clock .. m. Monday, the Sd day of Janu-
airy next 60 be decided by the 9th of the same
month"; for CONVEYING the mails OF the United
States, for five years from the fifteenth of Feb
ruary, 1853, in the manner and time herein spe-
Gifted:
From New Ortans, (La.,) by Tampico, (Mexi.
co., to Vera Cruz, about 900 miles, ana back three
times month in steamships. Time allowed
from port to pod to be three days; the schedule
(suhject to approval of the Postmaster GencraD
to be proposed ly the bidder.
Proposals to drry in four days, each way, Will
also be considered.
Proposals to omit Tampico by mail line, and
supply, tri- monthly, by side vessel, in due con
nexion, will be considered, in the event of its being
shown to be impractic0ble to enter that port with
the steamships of the line
Proposals will also be considered fof the extern
sion Of two OF the above tips from Vera Cruz TO
Acapulco, by suitable and safe land conveyance,
thence by steam vessels to San Francisco and back
The time in passing from Vera Cruz to Acapulco
not to exceed one hundred twenty hours, Give
days.) and picc uersa, and between Acapulco and
San Francisco not to exceed eight days
Proposals are also invited for scini monthly trips,
to be performed each way in not exceeding seven
teen days, from New Orleans, via Ihmplco, vera
Cruz, and pulco, to San Francsco and back, in
steamships, &C., above. Also, Tor two additional
trips from New Orleans via Tampico and Vera
Cruz to Acapulco and back, to run in not exceed :
ing eight days EACH way, and IN due cohnelion
with the aemi monthly trips OF the mail steamships
Of the present line between Acapulco and San
Francisco.
PROPOSAL, will also be considered for four trips
month from Ncw Orleans, via Tampico, Vera
Cruz, anu tue CITY vi atOsfiao, .o3-AcaPuieo cod
back and for the extension of two oi those trips
to San Francisco by steamships; the other two to
be run in connexion with The present Pacific mail
line go to give TO California u weekly mail. The
time be tween New Orleans and San Francisco not
to exceed seventeen days. In every instance each
OF the three sections of the line between New Or
leans and San Francisco should be bid for sepa-
rately.
Under the act of March 3, 1851, the service be
tween San Francisco and Vera Cruz ia TO be for
four years. But the Postmaster General reserves
the right of continuing it one year longer at same
terms.
In regard to hat part of the service between
Vera Cruz and Acapulco, the bidder will be re-
quired to satisfy the Department before entering
into contract that he has full privilege and auho
rity to execute in the terms OF the contract the SER
vice herein called for without interference, and in
accordance with treaty stipulations.
In regard to the steamship part Of the service on
the route between New Orleans and Vera Cruz,
the proposals should set forth the size, rate and
desert ption of the vessel (Which must be OF not
less than eight hundred tons burden,) and in re-
gard to the service between San Francisco and
Acapulco, the proposals should Get forth descrlp-
ton of the vessel with sufficient particularly TO
enable tho decision to be made the advice OF the
proper officers of the naval service, whether the
same is or is not convertible into ship OF war
And special notice is hereby given that, agreea,,
bly, to the provisions OF the act Of Congress o! Sd
March, 1885, hose pi opoeal5 for the last described
section of the route (being acceptable in other re-
spccts) will be preferred which shall supulate to
deliver the steamship Or chips, to be provided 10
carrying shd mails TO the United States or to their
proper officer, demand made, for the purpose OF
being converted into vessel or vessels of war; the
United States being bound, on their part, to pay
the fair foil value thereof at the time OF delivery
to be ascertained by four appraisers, appointed,
two by the President of the United States, and two
by the owner owners with an umpire, in case
Of disagreement, to be appointed by the President
Of the United States.
The laws on this subject are the It'll section OF
the act of March 3, lSi5, and the third section OF
the act Of June 81 lS4S, to which bidders are re-
ferred -
The bidder may embrace in his offer stpula
ton to carry agent Of the Post Office Depart
ment with the mais, or he may omit IT. at his dis
cretien. Such stipulation may induce a preference
10 be given in favor OF bid equal in other respects
bid not containing it.
By the second section of the act of March ) lS45,
it s required that contracts for the conveyance of
Il tbc Init a FOREIGN DOrts
shall be made with American citizens, and the
mail transported in American vcssels by American
citizens.
Articles of contract are to be executed by the
accepted bidder and by his sureies, by or before
the hfeenthvday of February, 1853. The contract
is to provide among other things, that the pay OF
the trip is to be forfeited when the trip is not per
formed, and not more than three times the pay OF
the trip when the trip ia not run, and no sufficient
for the failure is furnished, and due pro-
portion of it when grade OF service is rendered
inferior to that specified in the contract; and that
fines may be imposed, unless The delinquency be
sau factorily explained in due time; for failing to
take from to deliver into, the post office at the
port OF Landing the mail belonging thereto, or any
part of said mail; for suffering the mail, or any
part of it, to be wet, injured, lost destroyed; for
conveyingit in a place manner that expose5 Il
10 depreciation, oss, or injury; for refusing, alter
demand made, to convey mail by any additional
steamship, vessel or vehicle run by the contractor
on the route, over and above the specified number
Of rips in the contract, and ior not arriving at the
time set; alec, for transmitting intelligence. or
furnishing the means OF transmitting Intelligence,
advance Of the mail. The Postmaster General
may annul the contract for repeated iailuree; for
violating the post office laws; for dsobeying the
instructions OF the Departments; for refusing 10
discharge a rnrrer when required Ivy the Depart
ment; for assigning the contract without the con
sent of the Postmaster General or Tor setting up or
running an express as aforesaid.
The Postmaster General may alter the contract,
and alter the echeduicr he allowing pro rati IN
crease of compcnsation, within the restrictions
imposed by law for any increased service requrcd;
but the contractor may, in sucs case, relinGuish
the contract, timely notice il he prefer it to the
change The Postmaster General may also dis
continue or curtail the service, he allowing one
months extra pay the amount dispensed
with
The route, the service, the yearly pay, the bid
dcr's name and residence, and the name oi each