The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-25
OFFICIAL.
7 AVIS OF THE UNITED STATES PASSED
~ AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THE
FORTY-SECOND CONGRESS.

AN ACT TO revise, consolidate, and amend the
statutes relating TO the Post-0tflce Depart
ment
[Continuedl
SEC 2S5. That any special agent of the Post
Office Department, when instructed by the Post
master General to make examinations and seiz.
ures and the collector other customs officer of
any port without special Instructions shall care
fully search all vessels for letters which may be
on board, or which have been conveyed contra
~ to law.
SEC 236. That any special agent of The Post
Office Department collector, or other customs.
officer, or United States marshal or his deputy
may at all times seize all letters and bags, pack.
cts or parcels, containing letters which are be-
ing carried contrary to law on board any vessel
or on any post-route, and may convey the same
to the nearest postoffice, may by the direction
of the Postmaster General or Secretary of the
Treasury, detan them until two months after
the final determination Of all suits and proceed
ings which may, at any time within six months
after such seizure, be brought against any per-
son for sending or carrying such letters
SEC 237. That every package or parcel seized
by any special agent of the Post-Of1ce Depart.
ment, collector, or other customs-offlcer, or
United States marshal or his deputies in which
any letter is unlawfully concealed, shall be for.
felted to the United States, and the same pro-
ceedings may be had to enforce the forfeiture as
are authorized in respect to goods, wares and
merchandise forfeited for violation of the revenue
laws and all laws for the benefit and protection
of customs .ofiieers making seizures for violating
said revenue laws shall apply to officers making
SEC 23s. That nothing herein contained shall
be construed to prohibit the conveyance or trans.
mission of letters or packets by private hands
without compensation, or by special messenger
employed for the particular occasion only
SEC. 239. That all letters inclosed in stamped
envelopes (the postage-stamp in every case being
of denomination sufficient to cover the postage
that would be charseable thereon if the same
were sent by mail conveyed and delivered 9th.
erwise than by mail, provided such envelope
shall be duly directed and properly sealed, so
that the letter cannot be taken therefrom with
ont defacing the envelope, and the date of the
letter or of the transmission or receipt thereof
shall be written or stamped upon the envelope.
But the Postmaster General may suspend the
operation OF this section upon any mairoute
where the public interest may require such sus-
pension.
SEC. $40. That when the amount of mail-mat-
ter to be carried on any mailroute is so great as
to seriously retard the progress or endanger the
security of the letter-mail, or materially increase
the cost OF carriage at the ordinary rate Of speed
the Postmaster General may provide for the
separate carriage of the letter mail at the usual
rate of speed but the other mail-matter shall not
be delayed any more than is abso ut ,yj necessary
having due regard to the cost of expedition and
the means at his disposal for ettectng the same.
SIC. al. That any person who shall knowing
~ and Wiltuliy obstruct or retard the passage of
the mail, or any carriage horse, driver or carrier
carrying the same, shall, on conviction thereof,
for every such offense, forfeit and pay not ex-
ceeding one hundred dollars
Sec 242. That any ferryman who shall delay
iusa to transport the same across any ferry shall
for every ten minutes such mail may be SO de-
layed, forfeit and pay ten dollars.
SEC. 243. That before making any contract for
carvings he mail. other Than those hereinafter
excepted, the Postmaster General shall give
public notice by advertising once a week for six
weeks in one or more, not exceeding five, news
papers published in the state or Territory where
the service is to be performed, one of which shall
be published at the seat of government of such
State or Territory; and such notice shall describe
t.n nNf 10 at xtrl,ia y1pI i. 80
made up, the time at which it is to be delivered.
and the frequency of the service and the Post
master General shall direct, by special order in
each case, the newspapers in which ma H. lettings
other proposals relative to the business of his
department shall be advertised, and no publish
er shall be paid for such advertisements without
having been requested by the Postmas ter General
to publish the same.
SEC. 244. That proposals for carrying the mail
shall be delivered sealed, and so kept until the
bidding is closed an shall then be opened and
marked in the presence OF the Postmaster Gen
eral, and one of the Assistant POStmasters Gen
eral, or Of two of the Assistant Postmasters Gen.
eral, or of any other two officers of the Depart
ment, to be designated by the Postmaster Gen
era and any bidder may withdraw his bid at
any time before twenty-four hours previous to
the time fixed for the opening of proposals, by
serving upon the Postmaster General, or the
Second Assistant Postmaster General, notice in
writing of such withdrawal.
SEC. 245. That every proposal for carrying the
mail shall be accompanied by written guaran-
tee signed by one or more responsible persons
and undertaking that, within such time after
the bid is accepted as the Postmaster General
may prescribe, the bidder will enter into an obi
CATION, with good and sufficient sureties, to per-
form the service proposed and no proposals
shall be considered unless accompanied by such
guarantee.
shall hereafter have affixed to it the oath of the
bidder taken before officer qualified to admin.
lister oaths, that he has the ability pecuniary to
fulfil his obligations, and that the bid is made in
good faith and with tho intention n I'M n
contract and perform the service, in case his bid
shall be accepted; and that the signatures of his
guarantors are genuine, and that he believes
said guarantofs pecuniarily responsible for and
able TO pay all damages the United States shall
suffer by reason of the bidders failing to per-
form his obligations as such bidder.
SEC 2i7. That any postmaster or other officer
of the Post-Otfi2e Department who shall affX
his signature to the certificate of sufficiency of
guarantors or sureties before the guaranty or con
tract is signed by the guarantors or sureties, or
shall knowingly make any false or illusory Ger.
tificate, shall be forthwith dismissed from office
and shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor,
and shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by
q fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by
impris onment not exceeding one year, BOTH
SEC 24S. That the Postmaster General shall
have recorded, in a book to be kept for that pur-
pose, true and faithful abstract of all proposals
made to him for carrying the mail giving the
name of the party Offering, tho terms Of the
offer, the sum to be paid, and the time the con
tract is to continue; and he shall put on file and
preserve the originals of all such proposals.
SEC 249. That all contracts for carrying the
mail shall be in the name of the United States,
and shall be awarded to the lowest bidder tend
ering sufficient guarantees for faithful perform
ance, without other reference to the mode of
transportation than may be necessary to provide
for the due celebrity certainty, and security there
of; but the Postmaster General shall not be
bound TO consider the bid of any person who has
wlfully or negligently failed to perform former
contract
SEC $50 That no contract for carrying the
mail shall be made with any person who has en-
tered. or proposed to enter into any combination
10 prevent the making of any bid for carrying
given or performed, or promised to give or per-
form, any consideration whatever to induce any
other person not to bid for any such contract ;
and if any person offending is n contractor for
carrying the mail, his contract may be annulled
and for the first oitense the person offending
shallsbe disqualified to contract for carrying the
mail for five years, and for the second offense
shall be forever disqualified.
GTohn Z Continual l