Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-11-15
Instructions to Bidders and Post
masters.

instructions to Bidders and Post
masters.
Containing also conditions 10 be incorporated in the
contracts 10 The trtent he Department may dsem
proper
Office when not otherwise specified, for asserting the
mails.
= On routes whore the mode Of conveyance ad-
mits Of IL, the special agents f the Post Office De-
partmen also post Office blanks, mail ags, locks and
keys are to be conveyed without extra charge.
.. Way bills or receipts prepared by postmast-
ers, or other agents Of the Department, will accom-
pany the mails, specifying the number and dcstna-
ton of the several bags to be examined by the post
masters to insure regularity in the delivery Of bags
and pouches.
= No pay will be made for trips not performed;
stoned by the fault of the contractor carrier three
the pay Of the trip will be deducted For arriv-
ais so far behind time az to break connection WIN de-
pending mills, and not sufficiently excused, one
fourth of the compensation for the trip istnbJect 10
forfeiture For repeated delinquenrits Of the kind
herein specified, enlarged penalties proportional to
the nature thereof and the importanc, Of the mail
g. For leaving behind or throwing Of the mails, or
any portion Of them for the admission OF passengers
Tor being concerned in setting mp or running an
express conveying intelligence IN advance Of the mall
a quarters pay may be deducted.
6. Fines will be imposed, unless the dclinque cy
be promptly and satisfactorily explained by certificates
Of postmasers or the afdays Of other credible per-
sona failing to arrive in contract time for neg
Letting to take the mail from, deliver II into post
office for suffering it To be wet injured destroyed
robbed or lost; and for refusing after demand, to
convey the mail frequently as the contractor runs,
is concerned in running COACH car, or steamboat
on route.
7. The Postmaster General may annul the contract
for repeated failures TO agreeaby to contract for
violating the post Office laws, disobeying the in
structons Of the Department; for reiu'ing to dis
charge carrier when required by the Department to
do so: fr running an express ~ aforesad; or for
transporting persons or packages conveying nailabe
matter out of the mail.
The Postmaster General may order increase of
service a route by allowing therefor pro rata in
of departures and arrivals in all cases. and particular
IN TO make them conform to connections with rail-
roads, without increase q pay, provided the running
time be not abridged. The Postmaster General may
also discontinue curail the service, in whole or in
part in order to place the route superior service
or whenever the public interests in his judgment,
shall require such dscontinuanoe OF curailment for
any other cause; he allowing as full indemnity TO
contractor one months extra pay On the amount Of
service dspenfed with, and pro rata compensation
for the amount of service retained and continued.
0. Payments will be made by collections from. or
drafts on postmasters otherwise, after the eIpra
ton Of each quartor-say in November, February,
May and August provided that required evidence Of
service has been received.
TO- The distances given are believed to be subetan-
TALLY correct but no increased Pay will be allowed
should they be greater than advertised If the points
to be supplied are correctly stated. BIDDERS must in
form hemseires on this point, and also in reference
to the weight Of the mail the condition Of hills roads,
streams, &C. and all toll-bridges, turnpikes, plank
roads, ferries distinctions of any kind by which
expense may be incurred. NO claim ior additional
pay, based on such ground, can be considered nor
for alleged mistakes OF msapprehensons as to the de
gree Of service nor for bridges destroyed, ferries
discontinued, or other distractions causing or in
crossing distance or e1rensH occurring during the
tisement issued, and also during the contract term,
to be visited without extra pay If the distance be
not increased
H. Bidders are cautioned to mail their propos-
ais in time to reach the Department by the day and
hour named, g p M, February 8, 1879 for lids
ceved after that time uW not be considered in COM
petition with bids of reasonable amount, received in
time. Neither can bids be considered which are with
out the guarantee required by law, and certificate
.u nfgia of nj he patl Of
the bidder according to Section GAG, Act OF June s,
1872.
10 Bidders should FIRST propose for service strict
y according to the advertisement and then, If they
desire separately for different service and If the
regular bid be the lowest offered for the advertised
service the other propositions may he considered.
10. There sh ud be but enc route bid for in pro-
posal. Consolidated or combination bids cproposng
sum for two or more routes cannot be consider
ed
a. The route, the service, the yearly pay, the
Office Address,) and the name Of each member Of a
firm, where accompany offers, should be distinctly stat
ed
is Bidders are requested to use far pract-
cable the printed proposals furnished by the Depart
ment to write out in full the sum Of their bids andto
retain copies of them
Altered bids should not be submitted nor should
bids once submitted be withdrawn. No withdrawal
Of bidder guarantor will be allowed unless the
Withdrawals received twentyfour hours previous to
the time fixed for opening the proposals
Each bid must be guaranteed by two responsible
person. The bid and guarantee should be siyHed
plainly with the full name Of each person.
The Postmaster General reserves the right rejec;
any bid which may be deemed extrayagant' and also
TO disregard the bids of failing contractors and bid
ders Act of June g. 1872, section 49.)
le. The bid should be sealed, superscribed Mail
Proposals, State Of Vermont addressed Second As
sistant Postmaster General Contract ONCE and sent
by mail, not by to agent. Bids Of s5,O00per
mum and upward must be accompanied by certihed
to per cent Of the amount tsee law Of Congress Of
June g. 1872
to the Department by before the LIST day Of July,
1873 but the servic, must be begun that day, or
the mail day next after H. whether the contracts be
executed or not.
Transfers Of contracts, or Of interest in contracts,
are forbidden by law, and consequently cannot be al
lowed Neither bids or interest in bids be trans
ferred or assigned to other parties. Bidders Will
therefore take notice that they will be expected to per-
form the service accepted to them through the whole
is section 24e Of the act Of g. 1872, provides
that contracts for transportation OF the mail shall be
awarded to the lowest bidder rendering sufficient
guarantees for faithful performance, without other
reference to the mode Of such transportation than
may be necessary toproyide for the due celebrity GER
tainty and security thereof" Under this law bids
that propose to transport the mails with ctisrty,
rfTfainfv and securi haring been dscided 10 be The
only legal bids are construed providing for the en-
tire mail hOp5utT large, and Whafertr may the mode
o. conveyance necsssGry 10 insure ITS 'eef'rnty Ger
tGinty and security, aud hHehe prcference ou'r all
Others, aud others considered, except for steam
boat routes
terms is tantanount to new bid and cannot be re-
coiyod 30 as to interfere with regular competition
Making bid, with guarantee ana certlncatet Is
the only way to modify previous bid
20. PoHtmAsters to no careful not to eertfyt TO
the sufhciency OF guarantors without knowing that
they are persons Of sufficient responsibility. (See
section 2i7 act of June g. 1871 They must not sign
the certificate until the sum of the bid Is inserted,
aud the bid and guarantee are signed by the bidder
and Uwo) guarantors; disrsgGTd Of his instruction
BV posfmasters tyH subject them 10 immediate rtmOr-
al, and 10 ssrsrs penalties.
PostmAsters ase also liable to dismissal from ONCE
for acting agents Of contractors or bidders with or
without compensation, in any business, matter or
thing relating the mail service. They are trusted
agents of the Department, and cannot consistently
act in both capacities
II. All bidders guarantors, and suretios are dis-
tnctly notified that failure to enter into or per
form the contracts the service proposed for IN the
accepted bids their legal liabilities will be enforced
against them.
%. Present contractors, and persons known at the
antors and certificates Of their suciency substantial
" in the FERNS above prescribed. Tho certificate OF
suhciency must be signed by postmaster.
JNO. A. j. CRESWELI,
Postmaster General