The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-10-14
FOREIGN MAILS.

1 N OBEDIENCE to the act OF Congress, approved
i August &c. 1882 which il in the words following,
to wit:
" An act to provide for tri-monthIy mail from
New Orleans to Vera Cruz via Tampico, and
back, in steam vessels
BE ii enacted by the Senate and House Of Repre-
seatatipes Of the United States Of America Congress
assembled, That the Postmaster General be- and he
IL hereby, authorised and directed to enter into a
contract for term Of 1--WE years, and for a 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 a month from New Orleans, via Tampico, to
Vera Cruz and back, in steam vessels Of not less
than eight hundred tons burden, of the best 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. IN of Monday; the 18th day
same month"; for conveying the mails of the Uni.
ted States, for five years from the first day of
January, 1853, in the manner and time herein
specified;
From New Orleans, Louisiana, by Tampico,
(Mexico) to Vera Cruz, about 900 miles, and
back, three times month, in steamships. Time
allowed from port to port to be three days; the
SC schedule tsubjeet to approval Of the Postmaster
Proposals to omit Tampico 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 impracticabIe 10 enter that port i'm
the steamships Of the line
Tine proposals should set forth the size, rate and
description of the vessel, (which must be Of not
less than eight hundred tons burden,) with suffi-
cient particularly to enable the decision to be
made on the advice Of the proper officers of the
naval service, whether the same ia or is not con
verible into ship of war. And special notice is
hereby given, that, agrecably 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 sipuate to deliver the
steamship or ships, to be provided for carrying
said mails, to the United States, or to their proper
officer, on demand made, for the purpose Of being
United States being bound, on their part, to pay
the fair full value thereof at the time Of deli. cry
to be ascertained by four appraisers, appointed,
two by the President Of the United States, and two
by the owner or owners, with an umpire, in case
of disagreement, to be appointed by the President
OF the United States.
The laws this subject are the 7th section of the
act of March 3 S45, and the Sd section of the act
OF June q, 1913, to which bidders are 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 preference to be
given in favor ola bid equal in other respects
bid not containing it.
by the second section of the act of March g. ls45,
1t Is 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
ceped bidder and by his sureties by or before the
first day of January, 1883 The contract ia 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 tip 10 not rum and no sufficient excnse
he Is IA mis- hnA md l,o,>
of when grade of service ia ndered inferior to
that specified in the contract; and that fines may
be imposed, unless the delinquency be satisfactory
y explained in due time for failing to take from,
or to deliver into, the post Office the port of land
ing the mail belonging thereto, any part of said
mail; for suffering the mail any part of it, to be
wet, injured lost or destroyed; for conveying 1t in
place manner that exposes it to depredatton
loss, or injury; for refusing, after demand made,
to convey mail by any additional steamship or
vessel run by the contractor the route over nd
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
laws; for disobeying the instructions OF the De.
pariment; for refusing to discharge 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-
said.
The Postmaster General may alter the contract,
and alter the schedule he allowing a 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, timely notice. if he prefer it to the
change. The Postmaster General may also dis
continue or curtail the service, he allowing one
months extra pay 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 a Bid where no change from adver-
tsement is contemplated by the bidder.
al Cor VIC, as the may beg there write the
name or names in full Of there state the residence
or residences] hereby propose to carry the mail on
the route from New Orleans to Vera Cruz as often
as the Postmaster Generate advertisement for pro
posals on the same, dated September 80, 1852, re-
quires in the time stated in the schedule contained
in such advertisement, and by the following mode
of conveyance, to wit: Here state how il Is to be
conveyed for the annual sum Of there write out
the sum in words at full length
Dated ISigned1
The following ia the form of the guaranty which
should be filed, the first blank with the name of
the guarantors; the second with the name of the
bidder; and the third and fourth with the begin.
ming and terminating poinIs of the route; and,
after being dated should be signed by the guaran.
tor, who must be shown, by the written certificate
monini, to be men of property, and aSc to make
good their guaranty This guaranty, go certified,
should accompany each bid u.
" The undersigncd - guaranty that -,
if his bid for carrying the mail from - to
- be accepted by the Postmaster General,
shall enter into the contract require ed by the Post
master General, pursuant to such bid, prior to the
LIST day of January next, with at least two good
and sufficient surctes, to perform the service pro-
posed
Dated [signedl
Form Of Certificate.
1.-The undersigned, Postmaster of f, certi6es
that he is we'll acquainted with the guarantors
above named, and their property, and that they
are sufficient and able to make good their guar
any."
Dated TSisned1
The bid should be sent under seal to the Second
Assistant Postmaster General and the words Mail
oposals-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 VIII ich will be the last day for receiving pro
posals under this advertisement.
The acceptance or non acceptance Of the bids
will be determined by the 18th day of November
next.
The service ia to commence with the trip near
est to the first day of January 1853; but if the bid
der shall not consider himself able prepared TO
put the service in operation on or about that day,
he will specify the day of commencement in his