The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-03-07
INSTRUCTIONS.

1. Seven minutes are allowed to each intermediate
Office, when not otherwise specified, for asserting the
mails; but on railroad and steambea routes there is
to be no more delay than is sufficient for an. ex-
change of the mail bags.
2. On railroad and steamboat lines, and other
routes where the mode of conveyance admits of it,
the special agents of the Pest Office Department,
also post Office blanks, mail bags, locks, and keys,
are tie be conveyed without extra charge.
8. On railroad and steamboat lines the route
agents ofthe department are to be conveyed without
charge, and for their exclusive use, while travelling
with the mails, a commodious car, or apartment in
the centre of a car, properly lighted, warmed, and
and due security of the mails, is to be provided by
the contractor, under the direction of the depart
tnent. e- Tt1a
Railroad and steamboa companies are required
to take the mail from and deliver it into the post
Offices at the commencement and end of their routes,
and to and from all Offices not more than eighty rods
from a station or landing. Proposals may be Sub
mitted for the performance of all other side service
that is, for Offices over eighty rods from a station
or landing. s-t.td e
Receipts will be required for mail bags conveyed
in charge of persons employed by railroad compa-
MES. There will also be way bills prepared by.
postmasters, or other agents of the department, to
accompany the mails, specifying the number and
destination of the several bags. On the principal
stage routes, likewise, receipts will be required and
way bills forwarded; the latter to be examined by
the several postmasters, to insure regularity in the
delivery of mail bags.
4. No pay will be made for trips not performed !;
and for each of sach omissions not satisfactorily ex-
planned three times the pay of the trip may be de-
Quoted. For arrivals so far behind time as to break
connexion with depending mails, and not sufficiently
excused, one-fourth ofthe compensation for the trip
is subject to forfeiture. Deduction will also be or
dered for a grade of performance inferior to that
specified in the contract. For repeated delinquent
cies of the kind herein specified, enlarged penalties,
proportional to the nature thereof and the inpor-
lance of the mail, may be made.
5. For leaving behind or throwing off the mails,
or anv norton of them. for the admission of Da:Sen-
gers, or for being concerned in setting up or running
an express conveying intelligence in advance of the
mail, q quarters pay may be deducted.
6. Fines will be imposed, unless the delinquency
be promptly and satisfactorily explained by certif-
Gates of postmasters or the afidavits of other credi-
BILE persons, for failing to arrive in contract time;
for neglecting to take the mail from or deliver it
into a post office; for suffering it to be wet. 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 q coach,
car, or steamboat on q route.
Z. The Postmaster General may annul the con
tract for repeated failures to run agreeably to con-
tract; for violating the Post Office laws, or disobey-
ing the instructions of the department.; for refusing
to discharge q carrier when required by the depart
ment to de so; Tor running an express as aforesald;
or for transporting persons or packages conveying
mailable matter out of the mail.
s.. Tke Postmaster General may order an increase
of service on a route by allowing therefor a pro rata
Increase on the contract pay. He may change sched-
ules of departures and arrivals in all cases, and
particularly to make them conform to connexions
with raslroads, without increase of pay, provided
the running time be not abridged. He may also
order an increase of speed, allowing, within the re-
strictions of the law, a pro rata increase of pay for
the additional stock or carriers, if any. The con-
tractor may, however, in the case of increase of
speed, relinQuish the contract, by giving prompt no
tice to the department that he prefers doing so to
carrying the order into effect. The Postmaster Gen.
eral may also curtail or discontinue the service, in
whole or in part, at pro rata decrease OF pay, allow
w. ~ onntbsS avfro MN SatioD on tho mOf1Dt
dispensed with, whenever, in his opinion, the public
interests require the change, or in case he desires
tc supersede it by a different grade of transportation.
8. Payments will be made by collections from or
drafts on psstmasters, or otherwise, after the expi-
ration of each quarter-say in February, May, Au-
gust, and November.
10. The distances are given according to the
bestinformation; but no increased pay will be allow
ed should they be greater than advertised, If the
points to be supplied be correctly stated. Bidders
mast inform themselves on this point, and also in ref
erence to the weight of the mail, the condition of
roads, hills, streams, &c, and all toll bridges, fer
ries, or distractions of any kind by which expense
may be incurred. No claim for additional pay,
based on such ground, can be considered; nor for
alleged mistakes or misrepresentation as to the degree
of service; nor for bridges destroyed, ferries dIscon-
tinued, or other obs ructions increasing distance, oc-
curing during the contract term. Offices estab-
lished after this advertisement is issued, and also
during the contract term, are to be visited without
extra pay, if the distance be not increased.
IL. a bid received after the last day and hour
named, or without the guaranty required by law and
q certificate as to the suficiency of such guaranty,
cannot be considered In competition with a regular
proposal reasonable in amount.
II. Bidders should first propose for service strict
ly according to the advertisement, and then. If they
desire, sepdrdtely for different service; and if the
regular bid be the lowest offered for the advertised
service, the other propositions may be considered.
13. There should be but one route bid form a pro-
posal. Consolidated or combination bids (''propos-
ing one sum- for two or more routes'O are forbidden
by law, and cannot be considered.
IA. The route, the service, the yearly pay, the
name and residence of the bidder, (that is, his usual
post office address,) and those of each member of a
firm, where a company offers, should be distinctly
stated.
Is. Bidders are requested to use, as far as practi-
cable, the printed form of proposal furnished by the
department, to write out in full the sum OF their
bid, and to retain copies ofthem.
Altered bids should not be submitted; nor should
bids once submitted be Withdrawn. No withdrawal
of q bidder or guarantor will be allowed unless da-
ted and received before the last day for receiving
proposals.
Each bid must be guaranteed by two responsible
persons.
General guarantees cannot be admitted. The bid
and guaranty should be signed plainly with the fuH
lame of each person.
The department reserves the right to reject any
bid which may be deemed extrayagant, and also to
disregard the bids of failing contractors andtbidders.
16. The bid should be sealed, superscribed SNAIL
Proposals, State e." addressed '.Second AS
sistant Postmaster General, Contract Otfce, ana
sent by mail, not by or to an agent; and postmasters
will not enclose proposals Tor letters of any kind) in
their quarterly returns.
II. The contracts are to be executed and returned
to the department by or before the LIST day OF Au-
aust 1860; but the service must be commenced on
the Asst July preceding, or on the mail day next after
date, whether the con racts be executed or not.
proposition to transfer will be considered until
the contracts are executed and received at the de-
partment; and then no transfer will be allowed un-
less good and sufficient reasons therefor are given,
to be determined by the department. In all cases
the retiring contractor will be required to become
one of the sureties on. the new contract.
10. Postmasters at Offices on or near railroads,
but more than eighty rods from a station, will, i'm
after the 31st of March next, report their
exact distance from the nearest station. and how
they are otherwise supplied with the mail, TO enable
the Postmaster General to direct a mall-messenger
supply from the LIST of July next.
10. Section eighteen of an act of Congress ap-
proved March 8, 1915, provides that contracts for
the transportation of the mail shall be let sin every
case to the lowest bidder rendering sufficient guar
for faithful performance, without other refer
ence to the mode of such transportation than may
be necessary to provide for the due celebrity, certain