Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-23
INSTRUCTIONS.

a q
INSTRUCTIONS,
(As to regularly numbered routes)
Embracing conditions to be incorporated in the con-
tracts to the ertente Department may deem proper.
l. Seven minutes are allowed to each intermed
ate Office when not otherwise specified for asserting
the mails; but railroad and steamboat routes
th.r Il to be more delay than is sufficient for an
exchange Of the mail bags.
g On routes where the mode Of conveyance admits
of it, the special agents of the Department, also
post Office blanks, mail bags, locks and keys are to
be conveyed without extra charge.
g. On railroad and steamboat lines, British and
Canada mails, when offered are to be conveyed with
out additional pay also, the route agents of the De
partment, for whose exclusive while travelling
with the mails q commodious car, or apartment in
the centre OF car properly lighted, warmed, and
furnish ed, ard adapted to the convenient assortment
and due security Of the same, is to be provided by
the contractor, under the direction of the Depart
ment.
4. No pay will be made for trips not performed;
and for each Of such omissions not satisfactorily
planned three times the pay Of the trip may be
deducted. For arrivals SO far behind time TO break
connection with depending mails, and not sufficiently
excused, one fourth of the compensation for the tr
is subject to forfeiture Deduction may also BEL
derei for grade Of performance inferior to that
specifedin the contract orrepeatod deinquencies
of the kind herein specified, enlarged penalties pro-
portoned to the nature thereof and the Importance
of the mail, may be made.
g. For leaving behind or throwing off the mails or
any portion of them for the admission Of passengers
or for being concerned in setting up or running an
express conveying commercial intelligence ahead of
tae mail, quarters pay may be deducted.
II. Fines will be imposed. unless the delinquency
be promptly and satisfactorily explained by certif
Gates Of postmasters, the adavits of other cred
ita' lie ers9ns for failing to arrive in contract tme
for neglecting to take the mail FROM or deliver it
into, post office; suffering it lowing either to the
unsuitableness of the place or manner of CARRYING
| bs de hhQd LOST, md for
refusing, after demand, to convey the mail as fire.
quently the contractor runs, or is concerned in
running, COACH car, or steamboat on route
Z. Tie Postmaster General may annul the contract
for reps ated failures TO agreeably to contract
for disobeying the post Office laws, or the instruc
lions of the Department.: for refusing to discharge
carrier hen required by the Department to do so
for assigning the contract without the assent Of the
Postmaster General for running an express afore
said; or for transporting persons or packages con-
veying msable matter out of the mail.
Of service q route by allowing therefor pro rata
increase on the contract pay. He may chang.
the schedule Of arrivals and departures. without
increase of pay, provided he does not curtail the
amount Of running time. He may also order an
increase of speed be allowing, within the restric
tons of the law apro rata increase of pay for the
additional stock or carriers, if any. The contractor
may, however, in the case of increase Of speed,
inquish the contract by giving prompt notice to the
Department that he prefers doing to carrying the
order into effect. The Postmaster General may also
curtail or discontinue the service, at pro rata de-
crease Of pay, allowing one months extra COM
pensation on the amount dispensed with, whenever
in his opinion the public interests do not require the
same in he desires to superSede it by differ
ent grade OF transportation.
Q. Payments will he made for the service by coec
ton Of crafts on postmaster or otherwise, after
the expiration Of each quartcr-say in February.
May, August, and November.
10. The distances given according to the best
information: but 10 increased pay will tc allowed
should they be greater than advertised il the point
to be supplied be correctly stated. Bidders in
form Themselves on this point.
IL. The POSTMASTER General il yrohib;ted 10y law
from knowingly making contract for the ,ranSpOr
tation of the mails with any person who shall have
entered into, or propose 10 FER into, any combna
ton to prevent the making Of any bid for mail
contract by any other ferson or persons, or who
shall have made any agreement or shall have given
or performed, or promised to give PERFORM any
consideration whatever, or to do or not t, do any
thing whatever in order to induce any other person
or persons not u BID for mail contract Particular
attention is called to tie 2Sth section of the act of
1886, prohibiting combinations TO prevent bidding.
II. bid received after time, viz: m Of the 10th
April 1854, without the guaranty required by
law, o that combines several routes in sum OF
compensation, cannot be considered in competition
with rcgu ar proposal reasonable in amount
IL. Bidders should in all cases. first propose for
service strictly according to the advertisement, and
then, if they desire, SEPARATELY for different service
and if the regular bid be the lowest offered for the
advertised service, the other bids may be considered
II
postmasers and citizens interested, or if they shall
appear manifesty right and proper.
IA There should be but one route bid for in
proposal.
Is. The route, the service, the yearly pay, the
and residence of the bidder, and those Of each
member Of firm, where company offers, should
be distinctly stated, also the mode Of conveyance, if
a higher n. ode than horseback be intended. The
words with due celebrity, certainty and security"
inserted to indicate the mode Of conveyance, will
constitute "st1r bid"
16. The bid should be sent under seal, addressed
to the Second Assistant Postmaster General, super
scribed 90 Mail Proposals in the State of --"
1t should be guaranteed, and the suficency of tn.
guaran.ors certified see forms and should be dis
patched in time to be received by before A. NJ OF
the 10th OF April, 1854.
L. The contracts are to be executed and returned
to the Department by before the LIST of july 1854
IS Postnia sters at offices railroads, but
more than eighty rods from a station, will imme-
diately after the 10th of April next. report their
exact distance from the nearest station, and how
they otherwise supplied with the mail, to enable
the Postmaster General to direct mail messenger
supply from the LIST of July next.
u Section Is Of an act of Congress, approved
March 8, 1s45, provides that contracts for the trans
portion of the mail shall he let, in every case to
the lowest bidder rendering sufficient guarantees,
for faithful perfor Without other reference to
the mode OF such transportation than may be neces
5ary to provide for the due CELEBRITY, certainty, and
security of such ira nsportation.' Under this law
description of bids has been received. 1t does
not specify mode Of conveyance, bu. engages tC
AXE the tire mail each trip with celebrity, certain
ty, and security, using the terms of the law These
bids ere styled, from the manner in which they art
designated on the books of the Department, " sta,
bids and they will be construed providing for the
entire mail, hOaoereT large, and ,ohaterer may b.
tie msde Of coure necessary 10 insure us CELEBRITY,
certainly, aid 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 to be sufficient, the lowest bid will re accep
ted If duly GUARANTEED, In preference to star or
specific bid
When the lowest bid is not star bid, and specifies
either no mode or inadsqudte mode of conveyance,
it will not lie accepted but set aside for specnc bid
proposing the necessary service.
When the bid does not specify q mode OF con
veysnce also, when 1t proposes to carry according
to the advertisement but without such specification
it will he considered proposal for horseback ser
vice.
90 A notification Of bid, in any of it's essential
terms is tn utamOunt to q new bid, and cannot be
received. to interfere with regular comrettion
after the Ia hour set for receiving bids.
FL. Postmasters are to be careful not TO cert1y
the suficiency of guarantors or sureties without
knowing that they are persons of sufficient respon-
sibility and all bidders guaranors and sureties are
distinctly notified that failure to enter into or
perform the contracts for the service proposed for in
the accepted bids their legal liabilities will be en-
forced against them. --.. -. -..
e. The contracts will be substantially in the forms
heretofore used in this Department, except IN the
respects particularly mentioned in these insTuc-
tions and all railroad ana steamboat routes the
G. ntractors will be required to deliver the mails INTO