Washington sentinel., 1853-10-16
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Posr OpPIcr DrrARrMrNr s


Posr OFPIcE DEPARTMENT, Sept. /, 1858.
The following Is copy Of section of the
u act of Congress, entitled san act making ap-
preparations for the transportation of the United
States mail by ocean steamers, and otherwise,
during the fiscal year ending the Both of June one
thousand eight hundred and ify-four," approved
March 3, 1853, viz:
.SEc. 3. And be IL fvytier enacted That the
Postmaster General shall cause the facts to be in
vesiigated in relation TO the contract of A. G. Soo,
for the transportation of the mail in steam
ers from New York 10 New Orleans, Charleston,
Savannah, Havana and Chagres, and back, per
act of March third, eighteen hundred and forty
seven, for the purpose of ascertaning how far the
contract corresponds with the original bids and
shall report to Congress at the next session fhe
facts and circumstances connected with the said
contract; and also for what amount the said mail
service could be performed If a new contract
should be made, and whether the ships furnished
under said contract built according TO its terms
Tho Postmaster General is further directed by this
act 10 ascertain and report Congress at its next
session, for what amount the service now per-
formed under the several contracts with the Navy
and Post Office Departments for carrying the mail
in ocean steamers, can be hereafter performed,
upon the suppositon that the United States shall
take the steamers according TO contract, and sell
transfer them.n
Except in respect 10 the New Orleans and Vera
Cruz route, which may be discontinued by the POST
master General on the allowance of one months
extra pay, the clause in all the contracts giving to
the United States the right to take possession Of
the ships, is, in substance, as follows a
Sand the said Secretary of the United States
Navy, for the time being, shall at all times exer-
else control over said steamships and shall at any
time have the right to take them for the exclusive
use and service offhe United States and to direct
such changes in their machinery and internal ar
rangements as the said Secretary may require; the
cost of such changes to be ascertained by the bills
he cfru
ton ofthe value of the ships, when so taken as
aforesaid to be ascertained by appraisers 10 be
mutually chosen by the parties aforesaid
NOW, NOTICE is HEREBY GIVEN, that
with view of reporting to Congress, in as com
pete manner as possible the information called
for by Congress in section third above quoted from
the act of Sd March last
PROPOSALS
Will be received at the Post Office Department, in
the city of Washington, until 3 o'clock D. M, Of
Monday, 3lst day of October next, for conveying
the mails of the United Suites for six years from
the first day Of October, 1854, in the manner and
time herein specified.
No l. From New York TO Cowes in England
and thence to Bremen Haven, in Germany, and
from said Bremen Haven, by Cowes, TO New York,
once month
Proposals for one additional trim a year each
way, will be considered.
No. 2. From Charleston, South Carolina, by Sa-
vannah, Georgia, and Key West, Florida, to Ha-
vana, in Cuba, and from said Havana, by Key
West and Savannah, TO Charleston, twice a
month.
No 3. From New York 10 New Orleans. twice
month, and back, touching at Charleston, (if
practicabe0 Savannah, and Havana and from
Havana to Chagres (AspinwaD and back, twice
month. .
Proposals to omit Charleston and Savannah
will be considered.
In lieu Of above, proposals will also be received
for service from New York to Aspinwall direct,
1000 miles, and back, scmi-monthly, in not ex-
ceeding nine days to the trip each way; from New
York by Havana to New Orleans, 2, 900 miles, and
back semi-monthly, in not exceeding ten DAYS to
the trip each way; and from New Orleans to As
pinwall direct, 400 miles and back semmonth-
ly, in not exceeding seven days TO the trip each
way
No. 4. From Panama, New Grenada, 10 San
Diego, California, Monterey San Francisco, and
Astoria, In Oregon, twice month each way
touching, il practicable, at Port Oxford, in Oregon,
and at such other intermediate ports ON the coast
Of Oregon or California, as in the opinion of the
Postmaster General the public interest may re-
quire.
The schedules Of Nos 8 and A must be SO ar
ranged as to make due connection at the isthmus
of Panama, thus forming q continuous route from
New York, &c. to Astoria and back, twice a
month ,3s tsss
No. s. From New York to Liverpool, in Eng
land, and back, twenty-six trips per annunl, at
such times as the Postmaster General shall direct
Proposals 10 touch at Hoyhead, in England,
will be considered n
No. @. From New York, by Cowes in England
TO Havre, in France, and back, once a month aS
Proposals for changing the terminus of this
line from Havre TO Antwerp, in Belgium; and for
one additional trip year, each way, will be con-
sidered. s
No. = From New Orleans, Louisiana, TO Vera
Cruz, Mexico, and back, three times a month
supplying Tampico, Mexico, by side mail going
and returning. 95.
Leave New Orleans on the first, fourteenth, and
twenty-fiilh days. ssss F.ss s. IS
Arrive at Vera Cruz same month by the fourth
seventeenth, and twenty-eghth days
Leave Vera Cruz every month on the first, sixth
and twenty-frst days.
Arrive at New Orleans same month by the
fourth, ninth, and twenty days
The proposals in each instance should specify
the number of days TO be taken for the trip each
way, and the mode of conveyance, which must be
by steamshpsin in all respects suitable for the SER
vice. S81.
1fcontracts should be entered into, contractors
will be required to conform in all respects to the
laws and regulations applicable to the ordinary
contracts of the Post Office Department
The bids should be sent duly guaranteed under
SEAL to the Postmaster General, and the words
"Mail Proposals--For Mailsi--wrtten on the
face Of the letter. JAMES CAMPBELL,
Sep 2l--law3w Postmaster General
N ii