New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-07-11
PROPOSALS.
PROPOSALS FOR MAIL STEAMSHIP
Il SERVICE BETWEEN SAN FRANCIS
co, JAPAN, AND CHINA.
Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, June s, 1872.
In accordance with the provisions of sections
and 6 of the act Of Congress approved June
/, 1872, entitled can act making appropria-
tions 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. "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 a
term 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.
dtions and limitations as prescribed by existing
acts of Congress in reference thereto, and the
respective contracts made in pursuance thereof !;
and the contractors under 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 !:
Prorided, 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 Provided, 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
sneciGed in the act of June twenty.eiobt eiob-
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 nav a reasonable conversation there.
for: Propided. The price Maid 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.mouthlv service
shall be made with the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, or shall be performed in the said
| company's ships, or the ships of its successor,
| in Interest. the moneys payable under sncb con
tract shall be Maid while the said comnanv or ;ts
successors in interest shall maintain and ruy
| the line of steamships for the transnorto,;on q
| freight and passengers Mt present r,n hatwae,
New York and San Francisco, via the Isthmu,
of Panama. bv the said Pacific Mail Steamsb;,
Comnany. and no longer: Porided That sa;t
requirement shall in all respects annlv to An,
marty contracting for the mail service betweeI
San francisco and China and .Janan 40 wolf n
| to the Pacific Mail Steamship COMPANY
| nono,
PROPOSAlS
will be received at the Post Office Department
| ~ al NJ of No. u, IL,
| on MONDAY, the 18th day of August, 1872 TO
| conveying the mails of the United States, b,
means of an additional monthly line Of first. elias
American sea going steamships of not less tina,
| four thousand tons register each, and of sufli
| Gent number to perform twelve round trips pe
annum, between the port of San Francisco ant
| the port of Hong Kong, (China.l touching a
| Yokohama, (Japan,) with regular branch lin,
| running in connection with the main line be
| tween Yokohama and Shanghai, (China,) for ,
contract term of ten years from and after tn,
| first day of October, eighteen hundred and sew
enty three.
Each bid should name the time proposed tt
be occupied in performing the passages each way
| including stoppages at intermediate ports: ant
also the length of the stoppages at each of the
intermediate ports. Schedules of sailing days
| stating the proposed days and hours of departur,
from each port, as well as the proposed days ant
hours of arrival, should also accompany eacl
bid. The departures must be so arranged as II
alternate at equal and regular intervals will
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 b'
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 ane
survey BY an experienced naval constructor to b.
detailed for that purpose by the Secretary OF thu
Navy.
! Proposals must conform in all particulars tt
the provisions and requirements of the acts o
Congress approved February II, 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 gualantors, arc
| men of property and abundantly able to make
good their tender and guarantee.