Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-03-02
INSTRUCTIONS.

|
deem proper.
| |. Seven minutes are allowed 70 each interme-
date office when not otherwise specified, for as
sorting the mails but on railroad and steamboat
routes there is to be no more delay than is Suttl-
cient for an exchange of the mail bags.
g. On routes where the mode ofconveyance adj
mits of it, the special agents of the Department,
also post office blanks, mail bags, locks and keys,
are to be conveyed without extra charge.
! 8. No pay will be made for trips not performed;
and for each of such omissions not satisfactorily en-
planned, three times the pay of the trip may be de-
Quoted For arrivals so far behind time as to break
conuexion with depending mails, and not sufii-
GENTLY excused, fourth ofthe compensation for
the trip is subject to forfeiture. Deduction may
also be ordered for grade of performance inferior
to that specified in the contract. For repeated de-
linquences of the kind herein specified, enlarged
penalties proportioned to the nature thereof and
the importance of the mail, may be made.
4. For leaving behind, Or throwing off the mails,
or any portion of them, for the admission of pas
senpers, or for being concerned in setting up or
running an express conveying commercial intelll-
gence ahead of the mail, quarters pay may be
deducted.
5, Fines will be imposed, unless the delinquen-
cy be promptly and satisfactorily explained by GER
tificaes of posmasters or the affidavits of other
creditable persons, for failing to arrive in contract
time for neglecting to take the mail from, or de-
liver it into, a post Office for suffering 1t lowing
either to the unsutableness of the place or man.
ner of carrying ) to be injured, destroyed, robbed,
or lost and for refusing, after demand. to convey
the mail as frequently as the contractor runs, or is
concerned in running coach, car, or steamboat,
ON a route.
| 6. The Postmaster General may annul the con-
tract for repeated failures to run agreeaby to con-
tract; for disobeying the post office laws, or the
instructions of the Department; forretGsng to dis
charge carrier when required by the Department
to do so for assigning the contract without the
assent of the Postmaster General; for running an
express as aforesaid or for transporting persons or
packages conveying mailable matter out of the
mail.
7. The Postmaster General may order an In
prease of service on a route by allowing therefor
Gro rata increase on the contract pay. He may
also order an increase of speed, he allowing, with
in the restrictions of tho law, pro rata increase
of nav for the additional stock or carriers, if any.
The contractor may, however, in the case of in
crease of speed, relinqush the contract by giving
prompt notice to the Department that he prefers
doing so to carrying the order into effect. The
Postmaster General may also curtal or discontinue
the service at pro rata decrease of pay, if he al
low one months extra compensation on the amount
dispensed with, whenever in his opinion, the pub
lie interests do not require the same, in case he
desires to supersede it by adiferentgrade of trans
portation.
8. Payments will be made for the service by
collections or of drafts posmasters OF otherwise,
after the expiration of each quarter-say in Febru-
arv. Nav, August, and November.
9. The distances are given according to the best
information but no increased pay will be allowed,
should they be greater than advertised the points
to be supplied be correctly stated.
10. Tie postmaster General is prohibited by
law from knowingly making contract for The
transportation of the mails with any person who
shall have entered into, or proposed to enter into,
any combination to prevent the making OF any bid
for mail contract by any other person or persons
or who shall have made any agreement, or shall
have given or performed, or promised to give or
perform, any consideration whatever, or to do, or
not to do, any thing whatever, in order to induce
any other person or persons not to bid tor mall
contract. Particular attention is called to the 26th
section Of the actaf 1895, prohibiting combinations
to prevent bidding.
ii. A bid received after time, viz: the 4th of
April 1858, at 9 a m or without the guaranty re-
quired by law, or that combines several routes In
one compensation, cannot be considered ip compe-
tition with regular proposal reasonable in amount
- A bidder may offer, where the transportation
called for by the advertisement IS dlihcult or nm
practicable at certain seasons to substitute an lnferi
or mode ofconveyance or to lntefmh service aspect
fled number ofdays, weeks,o or months. lie may pro-
pose to omit an inaccessible Office or one not on the
stage or railroad, or at steamboat landing, as the
ease may be; or he may offer to substitute an ne-
rior mode of supply in such cases. lie may pro-
pose different times of arrival and departure, pro-
vded no more running times is asked, and nomali
coanexion prejudiced. He may ask additional
running time for the trip, during specified num-
Der of days, in seasons of very bad roads but be-
yond these changes, proposal for service differ
ing from that called for by the advertisement will
not be considered in competition with regular
hid reasonable in amount. Where bid contains
anv ssch alterations, their disadvantages will be
estimated in comparing it with other proposals.
AZ There should be but one route bid for in a
proposal.
IA. The route, the service, the yearly pay, the
name and residence of the bidder, and those Of
each member of firm. where company offeIs,
should be distinctly stated also the mode OF con-
veyance, if higher mode than horseback be III
tended.
Is. The Did should be sent under seal, address
sed to the Second Assistant Postmaster General.
subscribed email Proposals in the State OF -;
1t should be guaranteed, and the sufficiency OF the
guarantors certified, (see forms.) and should be
dispatched in time to DO received by or before 8
A. M, of the 18th April, 1853.
10. The contracts arc obe executed, and re-
turned to Tho Department by or before the lst OF
July, 1858.
II. Under the act of March Sd ,l845, the routes
are TO be let to the lowest bidders rendering sufi-