Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-01-20

Is. Bidders are requested to use, ~
faras practicable. the printed proposals
furnished by the department, to write ont
in full the sum of their bids, and to retain
copies of them.
Altered bids should not he submitted
norshould bids once submitted be with
drawn. No withdrawal of bidder or
guarantor will be allowed unless the with
drawal is dated and received before the
last day for receiving proposals.
Each hid must be guaranteed by two
responsible persons. The bid and guar
antee should be signed plainly with full
name of each person.
The department reserves the right to
reject any bid which may be, deemed. ex-
travagant, and also to disregard the bids
of failing contractors and bidders.
Is. The old bid should be sealed.
superseded "Mail Proposals, State Of
Maine." addressed Second Assistant
Postmaster General Contract Office" and
sent by mail, not by or to an agent and
postmastcrs will not enclose proposals Tor
letters of any kind) in their quarterly re-
turns.
IL. The contracts are to be executed
and returned to the Department by or be-
foIe the Isl day Of Jaty, 1865 ; but the
service must be begun ON that day. or on
the mail day next after it, whether the
contracts be executed or not.
Transfers of contracts, are forbidden by
law, and consequently cannot be allowed.
Bidders will therefore take notice that
they will be expected to perform the SER
vice accepted them through the whole
term of the contract>
Is. Pestmasters at Offices on or near
railroads. but more than eighty rods from
a station. will, immediately after the Both
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 q
mail messenger supply from the LIST of
July next.
10. Section eighteen of an act Of Con-
gress approved March 3, lSI5.provides that
contracts for the transportation OF the mail
shall be let, in every case, to the lowest
bidder rendering sufficient guarantees for
faithful performance, without other refer
ence to the mode of such transportion than
may be necessary to provide for the due
celebrity, certainty, and security of such
transportation" Under this law, bids
that propose to transport the mails with
'.celcrify, certainty, aud security" haring
been Iecided to be The only legal bids. are
construed as proridiag for the entire
mail, ho,rerer large, and rhaterer may be
the mode of coHre yaAce necessary 10 insure
It's "ceierty, certainty, and security" and
uW hare the prettfeace orcf all others, and
no others uU be considered.
90. A modification of bid in any of
its essential terms is tantamount to n new
bud. and cannot he received, so as TO inter
ferc with regular competition, after the
last hour set Tor receiving bids. Making q
new bid, with guarantee and certificate, is
the only way to modify a previous bid.
81. Postmastcrs are to be careful not
to certify the suileieney Of guarantors or
surcties without knowing that they arc
persons Of sufficient responsibility dis
rega'a Of this instruction BY postmasters
is ri5ta'joa IF tier oath Of office, subject
ing Hem 10 Immediate femora. All bid
defs, gHarantors, and sureiies are distinct
" notified that on failure to enter into
or perform the contracts fer the service
proposed Tor in the accepted bids, their
legal liabilities will be enforced against
them.
-. Present contractors. and persons
known at the Department., must. equally
with others, procure guarHntors and ccrti-
ticates of their su.iicicncy substantially in
tie forms above prescribed, The ecrtif-
cate OF sutiieicncy must be signed by n
postmaster, or by Il judge of court of
record, TO ether viii be admitted The
certificate mast also have affixed to it a
tivc-cont revenue stamp, cancelled, as re-
CURED by law.
". DENNISON,