Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-29
INSTRUCTIONS To BIDDERS AND
POSrMASTERS:

Coatdlnimg also conditions 10 g> SnooyD,rafed m ne
cOntroots 70 a., ,pfent a., Department psag desp,
proper.
0. Seven minutes are allo xed 10 each inter
mediate ONCE, when not otherwise specified,
for asserting the MALE; but on railroad auo
steamooa routes there 10 to BE- no more celsv
than 10 Sufficient Tor an s1chsnge Of the mai
pouches.
?. ON railroad an a steam boat llpes and oth.r
routes where the mode Of conveyance ad mite
OF %. the special agents OF the Post Once Lee.
partment. also post once btsDks, mail bags.
locke and keSs, sre 10 be conveyed without
chsrgs.
3. ON railroad and ste an boat lines the route
sgeL Is Of the Dep artment. also the British and
canada mails. when offered, and the agents
accompanying ihem. are 10 be conveyed with
out charge; and for tue use OF the United States
agents q eommodious car, or part Ola car.
properly lighted, warm I'd ana furnished. and
adapted 20 the con yenient separation and cue
security OF the mails, is 10 be provided by ne
contractor, under the direction OF the Depart
ment.
Railroad and steamboat companies sre r.
ouired to take the mail from ana deli yer itInto
the post Offices a. the beginning and end oi
their routes. and 10 and from all onices not
more than eighty rods rom station or laIJ-
ing. Proposals may b. submitted by the CON-
panies for the performance OF ali other sto.
service-that Is, for Offices over eighty rods
from station OF landing.
There will be swsy biIIs" prepared by post
masters. or o'her agents OF toe Department. 10
accompany the malls conveyed On railroads
and steamer. specifying the number aud oes.
uoation of the several bsgs. On other prinoi-
pal routes. like wise. receipts Will be r.o utrsd
and way bilts for warded; the latter 10 o. eN
ahmed by the several postmasters. 20 insure
regularity in the delivery OF mails.
4. No pay VIII he made for trips not uer
formed; aud for each of such emissions, not
satisfactorily e1plaiBrd. three tunes TIE p.y
OF the trip will he deducted. For arrivals 20
frr behind time as 10 brtak conn-cuon with
depending mails, and not sufilcisn,lyprcuseo.
one-fonrth OF the psnsa ion Tor the 'rtp IL
subject TO forfeiture. For rrpea ed deIin snsn.
c'es OF The kind herein specified, enlarged
penalties. proportiOued 10 the nature thereof.
ana the imporiaEce of the mail. may b. mace
For leaving behind CT throwing OF he
mails, or any portion OF them, for IN acmis
sion OF passengers, or for brInc COZ cerned IN
setting mp or running an express coavryIpg
intelligence In advance OF the mail. q quarters
pay may BE- deducted.
o. Zines Will be imposed, unless tbs deIin-
quency be promptly and satisfactorily eN-
plained by csrtihcat Of postmas'ers. or the
afidavits o other credible persons for failing
10 arrive IN contract time; Tor usgIscting 10
take the mail from. or deliver N mo. a nost
Office for suffering it 10 De wet. injured, de-.
stroyed, robbed or losi; ana for refusing after
demand, 10 convey the mail as frequently ss
the contractor runs. or - cCncerned In rum .
ming, coach, car or steamboat on a roufe
:. The Postmaster General may aHnuI the
contract for repeated failures TO run agreeably
to contract: for violating tie post Office laws
or disobeyiug the instructions OF the Depart
men; for refusing TO discharge a carrier when
required by the Department TO do so: for run
ming an express as aforesaid; or for transport
ing persons or packages COM eylng mailable
matter out of he mail.
:. the Postmaster General NAV order An
lncre's OF service on route ny allowing
therefor n pro rata increase on tie c-ntract
pay. lie may change schedulss OF DEPARTURES
and arrivals IN AL cases, aud particularly 10
mske them conform 10 connexions win rsii-
roads. without increase OF pay. provided The
running line b. not abridged lie may also
order an Increase OF speed, allowing, wrbin
the restrictions of law, a pro rata ipcrease Of
pay for the additional stock or carrisr- AZ
any. The contractor NAV. no ~eyer. al The
case Of increase Of speed. relinoush the coa-
tract, by giving prompt notice TO the Depart
ment that be pref.rs doing go - carrying the
order lhto effect Ire Postmaster General mBy
also discontinue or curtail the service. IN
whole or IN part. Ia order 10 place on the route
a greatrr degree Of service. or whenever the
public interests, In his Judgment shaIl require
snch dHcontnuance or curtaiiment for auy
other cause; he allowing as fun Indemnity to
contractor one months e1tra paw on the
amount OF service dispensed with aud a yrs
rata compensation for tue amount OF service
reta ned ana continued.
9. payments will De made by collections n m
or drafts on postmasters. or otherwise. auer
expiration OF each quarter-sav in Novem-
Der, February. MAY and August.
%. The distances are a ven according 20 the
est information; but no increased paw will be
Howe d should they he greater than sd veriissc,
. ft1e points TO be supplied are correctly stated
Bidders must Inform hsmselres on flis g0igf and
a lso I'm referesce 10 the weight OF the mail the
condition OF roads, hills, streams. &c and an
toll bridges, ferries or obstruc'tons of any kind
by which expense NAV he incurred No claim
for ad d iuonal paw. based on such grounds
can be considered; nor for alleged mistakes Ut
misapprehension as 10 The degree Of service:
nor for bridges destroy ed. ferries discoutiu ueo
or other distractions increasing distance. oc-
curing during contract term. Offices - 'ab-
lished after this advertisement rs issued. ana
also during the contract term. are 70 be visited
. H. 10 An
creased.
IL. Bidders are cautioned 10 mail their pro.
posals 10 time TO reach the Depsr inent o. the
day and hour named, g p. m. March 4. is6s.D
for bids received after that time cell nat D. en-.
sidered in compeu ion with a bid Of reasonable
amount received in Tine Neither can bids be
considered which are without the guarantee
D eluired by Law and a certificate OF the effiLi.
eccy otsuch guarantee.
~ Bidders should first propose for service
strictly according 10 the advertisement, aud
then, IL they desire, separately for different
service; and II the regular bid b- ne 10 Of
fered for the advertised service, the other pro-
positions may be considered.
l3. There should be but one route bid for i'm
q proposal Consolidated or combination bids
('.proposing one sum for two or more routes"l
are forbidden by law, and cannot be consid-
cred
Il. The route, the service, the yearly paw,
the Iama and residence Of the BIDDER, that is
his usual post ONCE address, aud the name of
each member OF firm, where a company Of
Is. Bidders are requested to use, as far he
the prin ed proposals furnished
by the Department, 10 write out In TOLL The
sum Of their bids, aud 10 retain copies OF them
Altered bids should not be submit ted: nor
should bids once submitted be withdrawn
No withdrawal OF bidder or guarantor Will
be allowed unless the withdrawal is dated
and received before the last day for receiving
proposals.
Each bid must be guaranteed by two re-
Bponsible persons. The bid aud guarantee
should be signed plainly with the full name o.
each person.
The Department reserves the right ID re iect
any bid which may be deemed extrayagant,
and also to disregard the bids Of failing con-
tractors and bidders.
10. The bids should be sealed superscribed
a Mail Proposals, State OF DeIawere,r al
dressed - Second Assistant Postmaster Gen
sral, Contract Once" and sent by mail lot by
DR. TO an agent. and postmasters VIII not en-
close proposals Cor letters of any kind IN their
2 quarterly returns.
Il. The contracts are 20 be executed and re-
turned TO the Department by or before the vs.
lay If July, lS6e; but the service must be BE-
I'm on tRaI day, or on the mail day next af,rr
II, whether the contracts be exec uted or nor.
Transfers of contracts, or OF interest in con
tracts, are forbidden by law, and consequently
cannot be allowed. Bidders will therefore
take notice that they will be ex rected 70 per-
form the service accepted 10 them through the
" hole Term OF the contract.
II. RDstmasteTs at Offices on or near rail-
roads, out more Than eighty rods from y sta
tIon, will, Immediately after the An OF March
neat, report their exact distance from the