Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-30
INSTRUCTIONS,
(As to regularly numbered routes

conditions q BE- incorporated De con-
tracts TO The s-tentute Depdrtnenf may deempropT.
1. Seven minutes are allowed to each iniermrdi-
ate Office, when not otherwise specified, for asserting
the mails; but on railroad and steamboat routes
tn, Il TO he no more delay than is sufficient for
exchange OF the mail bags.
q On routes where the mode Of conveyance admits
Of il, the special agents Of the Department also
post Office blanks, mail bags, locks and keys, are TO
be conveyed without extra charge.
s. On railroad and steamboat lines, British and
Canada mails, when offered 10 be conveyed with
out additional pay; also, the route sseuts Of the De
pertinent, for whose exclusive use while travelling
With the mails. q comnodous car, or apartment ia
the centre Of q Car, properly lighted, warmed, and
furnished adapted to the convsnient assortment
and due security of the same, is 20 lie provided BY
the contractor, under the direction OF the DEPART
ment. va
4. No pay viii be made for trips not performed;
and for esch Of such omissions not satisfactorily
planned three times the ray Of the trip may be
deducted For arrivals far behind time 10 break
connexion with depending mails, and not sufficiently
excused, fourth Of the compensation for the trip
il subject 10 forfeiture Deduction may also be
tered for q grade of performance inferior to that
specified In the contract For repeated deiinq
of the kind herein specified. enlarged penalties, pro-
portoned to the nature thereof and the importance
of the mail, may BE- made 5000
s. For leaving behind or throwing on the maiis or
any portion of them for the admission Of passengers,
81 for being concerned in setting up or running
express conveying commercial Intelligence ahead of
the mail, quarters pay may be deducted.
Is. Fines will be imposed. unless he delinquency
10 promptly and satisfactorily explained by certn
Gates of postmssters, the sdHTits OF other cred
table persons for failing 10 arrive in contract time;
for negecting to take the mail from, deliver il
into, post Office suffering II lowing either TO the
unsutabieness of the place or manner Of carving
IT, TO be injured destroyed. robbed, or lost and for
refusing, after demand, to convey the mail a. FREE
Iusntly as the contractor runs, is concerned In
running, q coach, car, or steamboat on a route.
Z. The Postmaster General may annul the contract
for repeated failures 20 agreesbly 10 contract;
FOR dsobeying the pest Office LAVE, or the instruc-
lions of the Department. for refusing To discharge
carrier when required by tie Department to do so:
for assigning the contract without the assent Of the
Postmaster General; for running express afore-
said or for Transporting persons or packages con-
seyiDg mailable matter out Of the mail.
8. The Postmaster General msy order an increase
If service a route 10y allowing therefor pro rata
increase on the contract pay. lie may change
the schedule Of arrivals and departures, without
increase of pay, provided he does not curtai the
amount Of running time. He may also order IN
increase of speed he allowing, within the restric
tons Of the law pro rata increase of pay for the
additional stock carriers, IL any. The contractor
may. however, i'm the of increase Of speed,
nquish the contract by giving prompt notice to the
Department that he prefers doing TO carrying the
order into effect. The Postmaster General may also
:urtail discontinue the service at pro rata de-
crease of pay, allowing one months extra CON-
pensation on The amount dispensed with, whenever
in his opinion the public interests do require the
same or ia case he desires to supersede it by differ
ant gsade of transportation.
.. Payments viii be made for the service by colec-
ton Of or drafts on postmasters, otherwise, afer
the expiration of each quarter-say in February,
May, August, and Nov mber.
To- The distances are given according TO The bert
information: but no increased pay will lie allowed
should they be greater than advertised il the points
to be supplied be correctly stated Bidders must III
form themselves on this point.
H. The Postmaster General is prohibited by Law
tatiou of the mails with any person who shall have
entered into, proposed 10 enter into any combns-
ton to prevent the making Of any hid for q mail
contract 10y any other person or persons, OF who
shall have made any agreement, or shall have given
IT performed, or promised 10 give or perform, any
consideration whatever, or to do or not t. do any
thing whatever in order to induce any other person
persons not bid for mail contract. Particular
attention Is called TO the 18th section Of the act Of
1886, prohibiting combinations TO prevent bidding
H. bid received after time, viz: a 10 OF the 10th
April, 1854, OR without the guaranty required by
law, that combines several routes In one sum OF
COMPENSATION, cannot be considered in competition
with regular proposal reasonable la amount.
Is. Bidders should. in ali cases, frst propose for
service strictly according TO the advertisement and
then, il they DESIRE separately for different service
ana if the r,g.ar bid he the lowest offered for the
advertised service the other bids may be cousd, re
# the alterations proposed are recommended by the
postmasters and citizens interested, if they shall
,ppear manifestly right and proper.
IA. There should be but route bid for in q
proposal. ..f
Is. The route, the service, the yearly pay, the
name and residence OF the bidder and those Of each
member of q firm. where a company offers. should
be distinctly stated. also the mode Of conveyance,
a higher mode than horseback be intended. The
words with due celebrity, certainty, and security,
inserted to indicate the mode Of conveyance, will
constitute 4" star Gid."
16 The bid should be sent under seal, addressed
to the Second Assistant Postmaster General, super
scribed Mail Proposals in the statsof -"
II should be guaranteed. and the sufciency Of the
guarantors certified (see forms, and should be- dis
patched in time to be received by or before A. NJ Of
the 10th of April, 1854.
IL. The contracts are to be executed and returned
to the Department BY or before the LIST Of July 1854
Is. Postmasters at Offices on or near railroads hut
more than eighty rods from a station, will imme
lately sitter the 10th of April next report their
exact distance from the nearest station, and how
they are otherwise supplied with the mail, 20 enable
the Postmaster General TO direct a mail mess niger
supply from the LIST efyuly next.
le. Section Is ofAh act Of Congress, approved
March 3, 1876, provides that contracts for the trans
portion of the mail shall be let " in every case to
The lowest bidder rendering sufficient guarantees,
for faithful performs without other reference 10
the mode Of such transportation than may be neces
sary to provide for the due CELEBRITY. certainty and
security of such transportation Under this Law
new description of bds has been received. 1t does
not specify mode Of conveyance, but engages 10
AXE the entire mail each trip with celebrity, certain
ty, and security using the terms Of the law. These
bids are tyled, from the manner in which they are
designated on the books Of the Department " star
BIDS and they will be construed providing for the
entire mail, hOtcerer large, and soiateusr may Ce
tie mode OF eouregdRce necessary insure rs celebrity,
ceyfat,fy, ahd security"
Such bids WILL therefore, be accepted in preference
to higher bids for specific modes Of conveyance on
routes where the lowest mode Of conveyance that is,
on horseback, } is known to be insufficient.
In all cases where the lowest grade of service is
believed be sufficient the lowest bid will he accep
ted, if duly Guaranteed In preference TO star or
specific bid.
When tie lowest bid is not star bid and specifies
either mode Inadequate mode of conveyance,
ii will not be accepted but set aside fer specific bid
proposing the necessaiy service.
When the bid does not specify a mode Of O n
Feyance also, when 1t proposes to carry according
to the advertisement, but without such specification
it viii he considered as proposal for horseback
vice. 7.
20. A Modification Of bid. in any of It's essential
received 20 as to interfere with regular competition,
after the last hour set for receiving bids.
II. Fostmasters are to he careful not TO certify
the suf'iciency Of guarantors or sureties without
knowing that they are persons Of sufficient respon-
sbity and all bidders guarantors and sureties are
distinctly notified that a failure 10 enter into
perform the contracts for the service proposed for in
the accepted bids their legal liabilities will be
forced against them.
T. The contracts win be substantially in the forms
heretofore used in this Department. except in the
respects particularly mentioned i'm these instruc-
lions; and on all railroad and steamboat routes the
contractors viii be required TO deliver the mails into
the post Offices at the ends Of the routes and INTO all
the immediate post Offices not more than eli hty rods
from the railroad or landing.
%. Present contractors ard persons known at the
Department, must equally with others. procurs
GU rantors and certifafes Of their sufciepcy sub.
sta TALLY in the forms above pre>cribed. The GER
tificates of suiciency must he signed by postmas-
OF n af nnrf of