, 1858-02-19
Dated


CEtTlflCATE.
The undersigned, postmaster Of -. State Of
- certifes under his oath Of office, that he is ac-
quaintcd with the above guarantOrs, and knows them
to be men OF property aud able to make good the
guarantee.
Dated ,c,,>
Is. Altered bids should not be submitted; nor
should bids once submitted be Withdrawn. go
Each bid must be guaranteed by two respon.lOe
persons. General guarantees cannot be admlued.
The bid and guarantee should be signed plainly with
the full maine of each per on.
The department reseryes the light to reject any
bid which may lie deemed extraygant, and also lhe
bids of falling contractors and hiss1Ts.
10 The bid should be sealed, superscribed mai
Proposals. State Territory Of (as the case may be)
--,' addressed Second Assistant Postmaster
General y Contract Office and sent BY mail not BY CT
to agent; and p1-tmasteis will not enclose propo-
sas Tor letters Of any KIDD in their quarterly re-
turns.
Il. The contracts are.t, he executed and returucd
to the department by before the 1st Of August,
1858 hut the service must be commenced on the lst
July, the mail day next alter that date, whether
the contracts be executed or not No proposition for
tran will he considered untl the contracts are
executed and received Gt the department; and then
no transfers will be allowed unless good and sufficient
reasons therefor are given, to be determined by the
department.
is. Section Is Of an act of Congress, approved
March g. 1876 provides that contracts for the trans
portatinn Of the mail shall be let sin every case 10
the lowest bidder rendering sufficient guarantees ior
mode of such transportation than may be necessary
to provide for the due oelerty, certainty and security
Of such transportation Uuder this law a new des
criptOn Of bids has been received They do not kpe
cify a mode Of conveyance, but engage to take the
entire mail each trip with celefity, certainty, and re-
curity using the terms Of the law. These bids are
styled from the manner in which they are designated
on the books OF the department, "tfar lids" and
they will be construed providing for the convey
ance Of the entire mail however large, end whatever
may be the mode necessary to insure It's "eeleIiy'
lcertalnty. and security"
Nv 49, 10 ell cases where the lowest grade Of service
is believed to be sufficient the lowest bid will he ac
ccptcd, il duly guaranteed, in preference to star
or specific bid.
When the lowest bid is not star bid, and specifies
either no mode or an inadequate mode Of Conveyance
il will not be accepted, but set aside for specific bid
proposing the necessary service:
When the bid does not specify mode Of convey
ance also when It proposes to carry "nceording 10
the advertisement" but without such specification, u
will be considered as proposal for honebaek serv-
ice. a.,
terms is tantamount to q bid, and cannot te re-
ceiyed so as TO interfere with regular competition,
after the last hour set for receiving bids =. -.
2l. Postmasters 10 be careful not TO eerty the
snicicncy Of guarantors or suretes without SHOWING
that they are persons Of sufficient responsibility and
all bidders, gaantora, and sureties, are distinctly no
tilted that on failure to enter into or rerctm the
contracts for the service proposed for In the accepted
Lds, their legal liabilities will be enforced ngainAt
them.
a. Prcsent contractors and persons known at the
department must equally with otbers. procure guar
ant0rs and certificates Of their suicleney fnbstan-
tialyiu the forms above prescribed The certificates
Of sfieeney must be signed BY postmaster or BY
''Ne' AARON v. BROWN.
Postmaster General.
| POsT OFFIoE DEPAHrMENr,
October q, 1851. IJan. l, '6s--l2w'