New Orleans Republican., 1872-06-04
rGENERAL NArURE-No. so. !

approved Aprll "A, lc' <
TGENERAL NATURE-NO. SOL
An act relating to proposals and contracts
for transportation OF the malls, ana LOT
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House OF
Representatives. of the United States OF
America in Congress assembled, That any
person or persons bidding for the trans
portatioA of the mails upon any route which
may be advertised to be let, and receiving
an award Of the contract for such service,
who shall wrOngtully refuse or fail to enter
into contract with the Postmaster General,
in due form, and perform the service
described in his or their bid or proposal,
shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanOr,
and. on conviction thereof, be punished by
a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars,
and BY Imprisonment for term not exceed
ing twelve months.
SEC. 3 That each bid for carrying the
mail shall hereafter have affixed to it
the oath of the bidder, taken before an Off
Ger qualified to administer Oaths, that he has
the ability pecuniarily to fulfill his Obllga-
tions, and that the bid is made in good
faith and with the intention to enter into
contract and perform the service, In case
his bid shall be accepted and that the sig
natures OF his guarantOrs are genuine, and
that ne believes said guarantOrs pecunlarlly
responsible for ana able to pay all damages
the United States shall suffer by reason OF
the bidder failing to perform his obligations
as such bidder
SEC. 3. That any postmaster or other Off
Ger of the PostOffice Department who shall
affix his signature to the certificate of suti-
cheney of guarantOrs or sureties before the
guaranty or contract is signed by the
guarantOrs or sureties, or shall knowingly
make any false or illusOry certificate, shall
be forthwith dismissed from office, and shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanOr, and
shall, on conviction thereof, be punished
by fine not exceeding one thousand dol
lars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one
year, or both.
SEC. A. That no bidder for carrying the
| mails shall be released from his obligation
under his bid or proposal, notwithstanding
an award made to a lower bidder, until
| contract for the designated service shall
| have been duly executed by such lower bid
| der and his sureties, and accepted, and the
/ service entered upon by the contractor to
| the satisfaction of the Postmaster Gen
eral.
! SEC. 5. That after any regular bidder or
| contractor for the transportation OF the
mail upon any route shall have failed to en-
| terintO cOntract,and commence the perform
! anee thereof as herein provided, the Post
| master General shall proceed to contract
/
| vice, who will enter into a contract and per
| form the same, unless the Postmaster Gen
/ eral shall consider such bid too high; il
which case he shall re-advertise such ser
| vice. And in all cases of regular contracts
| hereafter made, the contract may, IN the
/ discretion of the Postmaster General, bC
/ continued in force beyond its express terms
| for period not exceeding SIX months, unn
| a new contract with the same or other con
| shall ha mazda hv the Postmaster
| General.
SEC. s. That hereafter all bidders upO1
every mail route for the transportation o.
the mails upon the same where the annua
| cOmpensatiOn for the service on such route
| at the time exceeds the sum of five thou
sand dollars, shall accompany their bid
with a certified check or draft, payable tC
the order of the Postmaster Gen
| eral upOn some solvent nat1Ona
| bank, which check or draft shall not be les
than five per centum on the amount Of tht
annual paw on said route at the time sucl
bid is made, and in case of new service, no
less than five per centum of the amount o
one years pay proposed in such bid, II th'
bid exceed five thousand dollars per an
mum. In case any bidder, on being awarded
| anv such contract, shall fail to execute tn
same with good and sufficient sureties
according to the terms on which such BIZ
was made and accepted, and enter upol
the performance of the service to the salts
faction of the Postmaster General, such bid
der shall forfeit the amount so deposited T.
the United States, and the same shall forth
with be paid into the treasury for the use
the POstoflice Department; but If such con
tract shall be duly executed and the servie
entered upon as aforesaid, such draft o
check so deposited shall be returned to tn
bidder.
SEC. :. That in case of the sickness, or uI
avoidable absence from his office, of tn
postmaster of any mOney-order postothct
he NAV. with the approval of the POstma'
| ter General, authorize the chief clerk, O
some other clerk employed therein, to ac
in his place, and to discharge all the dutle
required by law of such postmaster; prC
vided, that the official bond given by tn
Drineipal of the office shall be held to cove
and apply to the acts of the person az
pointed to act in his place in such case
| and provided, further, that such acting on
Ger shall, for the time being, be subject
all the liabilities and penalties prescrlbe
by law for the official misconduct, IN Ink
cases, of the postmaster for whom he sha
act.
SEC. g. That the Postmaster General
whenever he may deem it consistent Wit
the public interest, may accept new suret
upon any contract existing, or hereatte
made. for carving the mails, in substitl
ton for and release of any existing suret,
SEC. g, That the Postmaster General
| hereby authorized to cause to be placed |
the credit of the Treasurer of the Unite
States, for the service af the POstOfiee D.
partment, the net proceeds of the none,
order business; and that the receipts of tn
, Postofice Department, derived from tn
source, during each quarter, shall be el
, tered by the Auditor of the Treasury II
the Postofice Department, in the accoun
of said Department, under the head
Revenue from money order business"
Approved April y, 1872.