The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-10-16
FOREIGN MAILS.

FOREIGN MAILS.
TN OBEDIENCE to the act of Congress, approved
i August 3d. 1852, which is in the words following,
to wit:
"An act to provide for a tri- monthly mail from
New Orleans to Vera Cruz via Tampco, and
back in steam vessels
BE il enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
ssRtatpes Of The United States Of AmeTica IN Congress
assembled, That the Postmaster General be- and he
ia hereby, authorized and directed to enter into
contract for a term Of five years, and for q sum
not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars year,
with such person or persons as may offer sufficient
and satisfactory security after due public notice. for
the transportation of the mails Of the United States
upon the best terms for the United States, three
times month from New Orleans, via Tampico, to
Vera Cruz and back, in steam vessels Of not less
than eight hundred tons burden, Of the beat form
OF construction adapted to war purposes and to the
navigation Of the Southern waters, the same to be
ready in the shortest possible time"
PROPOSALS
will be received at the Contract Office of the Post
Office Department in the city Of Washington,
until three O'Clock p m Of Monday, the 10Th day
OF November next. Ito be decided by the 18th Of the
same month"; for conveying the mails Of the Uni
ted States, for five years from the first day Of
January, 1858, in the manner and time herein
specified:
(Msxico) to Vera Cruz, about 900 miles, and
back, three times month, in steamships. Time
allowed from port to port to be three days; the
schedule (subject to approval Of the Postmaster
GENERALLY to be proposed by the bidder.
Proposals to omit Tampco by main line, and
supply, tri monthly, by side vessel, in due con-
nexion, will be considered in the event OF its being
shown to be impractcable to enter that port with
the steamships of the line.
The proposals should set forth the size, rate, and
description Of the vessel, (which must be of not
less than eight hundred tons burden,) with sufh-
cient parcuiarity to enable the decision to be
made on the advice Of the proper officers of the
naval service, whether the same is or Is not con
| vertible into ship of war. And special notice is
hereby given, that, agreeably to the provisions OF
the act of Congress Of Sd March, lS45, those pro-
posals (being acceptable in other respects) will be
preferred which shall stpulate to deliver the
| steamship or ships, to be provided for carrying
said mails to the United States, to their proper
officer, on demand made, for the purpose of being
converted into vessel or vessels of war; the
United States being bound, their part, to pay
the fair full value thereof at the time of deli.e
to be ascertained by four appraisers, appointed,
two by the President Of the United States, and two
by the owner owners, with umpire, in
of disagreement to be appointed by the President
Of the United States.
The laws or this subject are the 7th section of the
act of March lS45, and the Sd section of the act
of June 27, lS4S, to which bidders referred.
The bidder may embrace in his offer stipulation
| to carry an agent of the Post Office Department
with the mails o. he may omit it, at his discretion.
| Such stipulation may induce a preference to be
given in favor ola bid equal in ether respects over
| bid not containing it.
By tho second section of the act of March g. ls45.
II ia required that contracts for the conveyance of
the mail from the United States to foreign ports
shall be made with American citizens, and the mail
transported in American vessels by American
citizens.
Articles of contract are to be executed by the &C
cepted bidder and by his suretes, by before the
first day of January 1858. The contract is to pro
vide, among other things that the pay of the trip
is to be forfeited when the trip is not performed,
and not more than three times the pay of the trip
when the trip ia not run, and sufficient excuse
for the failure is furnished, and q due proportion
of it when grade of service is rendered inferior to
that specified in the contract; and that fines may
be posed, unless the delinquency be SATISFACTORY.
y explained in due time: for failing to take from,
to deliver into the post office at the port of land
ing the mail belonging thereto, or any part of said
mail; for suffering the mail any part oft, to be
wet, injured, lost, destroyed for conveying it in
place manner that exposes it to depreciation,
| loss, or injury; for refusing, after demand made,
| to convey mail by any additional steamship
vessel run by the contractor on the route, and
above the specified number Of trips in the contract,
and for not arriving at the time set also for trans
hitting intelligence, or furnishing the means Of
transmitting intelligence, in advance OF the mail.
| The Postmaster General may annul the contract
for repeated failures for violating the post Office
| law; for dsobeying the instructions Of the De.
parment; for refusing to discharge a carrier when
requ red by the Department; for assigning the con-
tract without the consent of the Postmaster General
or for setting up or running an express as afore-
sail.
The Postmaster G neral may alter the contract,
and alter the schedule, he allowing pro rata in
crease of compensation, within the restrictions i'm
posed by law for any increased service required;
but the contractor may, in such case, relinquish
the contract on timely notice, if he prefer it to the
| change. The Postmaster General may also dis
continue curtail the service, he allowing one
months extra nay on the amount dispensed with
The route, the service, the yearly pay, the bid
| der's name and residence, and the name OF each
member Of the firm where company offers, should
| be distinctly stated in the proposals..
Form for Bid ,rhere no change from ADDER
tisement is contemplated by the bidder.
| al Cor we, as the case may beg there write the
name names in FULL of there state the residence
or residences] hereby propose to carry the mail on
the route from New Oriea ms to Vera Cruz often
| % the Postmaster Generals advertisement for pro
posals the same, dated September 30, 1852, re-
quires in the time stated in the schedule contained
in such advertiser ent, and by The following mode
of conveyance, to wit: Here state how it is to be
conveyed j for the annual sum Of here write out
the sum in words at full length
Dated [Signedl
The following is the form of the guaranty, which
should he filled, the first blank with the name of
| bidder and the third and fourth with the begin
| ming and terminating points of the route; and,
after being dated, should be signed by the guaran
tor, who must be shown, by the written certificate
Of postmaster other equally satisfactory testi
monial, to be men of property, and able to make
good their guaranty This guaranty, 30 certified
| should accompany each bid:
''The undersigned - guaranty that -,
| if bis bid for carrying the mail from - to
- be accepted by the Postmaster General,
shall euter into the contract requir ed by the Post
master General pursuant to such bid, prior to the
LIST day of January next, with at least two good
aud sufficient suretes, to perform the service pro-
posed
Dated [Signcdl
Form of Certificate.
1.-The undersigned, Postmaster Of -, certife 8
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,"
Dated [Signed]
The bid should be sent under seal to the Second
Assistant Postmaster General, and the words mail
Proposals-Foreign Mails'' written on the face Of
the letter; and should be dispatched in time to be
received by or before the 18th day of November
next, which will be the last day for receiving pro-
posas under this advertisement.
The acceptance non acceptance Of the bids
will be determined by the 18th day of November
next.
The service is to commence with the trip near
| f.. %. ~ ii