New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-20

PROPOSALS. FOR MAIL STEAMSHIP
JIG SERVICE BETWEEN SAN FRANCIS
co, JAPAN, AND CHINA.
Posr OFFICE DEPARTNENr

WASHINGTON, June s, 1872.
In accordance with the provisions of sections
8 and of the act of Congress approved June
/, 1872, entitled IAN act making appropria.
tons for the service of the Post Office Depart
ment for the year ending June thirty, eighteen
hundred and seventy three" which sections are
in the words and figures following, viz:
Sec. 8. g. And the Postmaster General
is hereby authorized to contract with the lowest
bidder, within three months after the passage OF
this act after sixty days public notice, for q
tern of ten years from and after the first day of
October, eighteen hundred and seventy three,
for the conveyance of an additional monthly
mail on the said route, at a compensation not
to exceed the rate per voyage now paid under
the existing contracts, and upon the same con-
ditions and limitations as prescribed by existing
acts of Congress in reference thereto, and the
respective contracts made in pursuance thereof |;
and the contractors UT der the provisions of this
section shall be required to carry the United
States mails during the existence of their con.
tracts, without additional charge, on all the
| steamers they may run upon said line, or any
part of it, or any branch or extension thereof !:
R0rided, That all steamships hereafter accepted
for said service shall be of not less than four
thousand tons register each, and shall be built
of iron, and with their engines and machinery
shall be wholly Of American construction, and
shall be so constructed as to be readily adapted
to the armed naval service of the United States
in case of war, and before acceptance the officers
by whom they are inspected shall report to the
Secretary of the Navy and the Postmaster Gen.
eral whether this condition has been complied
| with Procided, That in all cases the officers
of the ships employed in the service herein pro.
vided for shall be citizens Of the United States,
| and that persons of foreign birth, who have ac-
cording to law declared their intention to be.
come citizens of the United States, may be en-
| ployed as though they were citizens within the
meaning of this section, or of any act or acts
| specified in the act of June twenty. eight, eigh-
| teen hundred and sixty four; and the Govern.
ment of the United States shall have the right
in case Of war to take for the use of the United
States any Of the steamers Of said line, and in
such case pay reasonable compensation there.
for Prorided The price paid shall in no case
exceed the original cost of the vessel so taken,
and this provision shall extend to and be appli.
cable to the steamers of the Brazilian line here
matter provided for"
| "Sec. 6. That if the contract for the increase
of the mail service between San Francisco and
| China and Japan to a semi-monthly service
shall be made with the Pacific Mail Steamship
! Company, CT shall be performed in the said
company's ships, or the ships of its successors
in interest, the moneys payable under such con
tract shall be paid while the said company or its
successors in interest shall maintain and run
the line of steamships for the transportation Of
freight and passengers at present run between
New York and San Francisco via the Isthmu,
of Panama, by the said Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, and no longer: Prorided, That said
requirement shall in all respects apply to any
San Francisco and China and Japan, as well a:
to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company"
PROPOSALS
will be received at the Post Office Department
in the citE Of Washington, until 8 o'clock p. IN.
conveying the mails of the United States, by
means Of an additional monthly line of frst-c class
American sea-going steamships of not less thar
| four thousand tons register each, and of sufi
cient number TO perform twelve round trips pei
annum, between the port of San Francisco and
the port of Hong Kong. (Chna,) touching Al
Yokohama, Japan, with regular branch line
tween Yokohama and Shanghai, China for 6
contract term of ten years from and after the
first day of October, eighteen hundred and sew
| enty three.
| Each bid should name the time proposed to
be occupied in performing the passages each way
including stoppages at intermediate ports; and
| also the length OF the stoppages at each of the
intermediate ports. Schedules of sailing days
stating the proposed days and hours of departure
| from each port as well as the proposed days anC
hours of arrival, should also accompany eacf
bid. The departures must be so arranged as t.
alternate at equal and regular intervals with
those of the present monthly line during its con
tinuance, forming regularly semi monthly ser
vice in connection Herewith; such schedules
however, to be subject to to the approval of the
| Postmaster General, and to adjustment or alter
alton by his order, from time to time, as the in
terests of the postal service may require.
The steamships offered for the service must bt
American built steamships of the first class, il
all respects conforming to the requirements O.
the laws authorizing the service, and before &C
ceptance they will be subject to inspection anC
| survey by an experienced naval constructor to BIZ
detailed for that purpose by the Secretary of the
Navy.
Proposals must conform in all particulars tc
the provisions and requirements of the acts Of
Congress approved February IL, 1865, and Febru
airy Is, 1867, and of sections and of the above
cited act of June ], 1872, and must be properly
guaranteed with satisfactory testimonials thai
the bidder or bidders, and their guarantors, arc
men of property and abundantly able to make
good their tender and guarantee.
The bidder or bidders must be an American
| citizen or citizens
The bidders name and residence, and the
name of each member of the firm, when part
nership offers, should be distinctly stated. II
made by corporation the bid must be &C.
companied by duly authenticated copy of the
charter or articles of incorporation and list oil
| officers and directors.
| All DluS exceeding me sum OF nve thOusa
dollars must be accompanied by certified check
or draft, payable to the order Of the Postmaster
General, upon some solvent national bank, OF
| not less than live per ce,stuna of the amount OF
| one years pay proposed in such bid or bids
such check or draft to be subject to all the con.
dtions and provisions of existing laws in respect
to forfeiture.
Any assignment or transfer Of an ocean mail
contract is expressly forbidden by law. Such
assignments or transfers null and void, and
| the Postmaster General is required to determine
any contract in case of its being underlet or as.
| signed.
Proposals should be sent under seal to "The
| Superintendent Of Foreign Mails with the
words Mail Proposals." "Japan and China
route" written on the face of the address, and
| they should be dispatched in time to be received
| at this Department on or before 3 clock D. m
of Monday, the 18th day Of August next, which
will be the last day for receiving proposals under
this advertisement.
JNO. A. j. CRESWELL,
jel3.0t Postmaster General.