The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-03

usuii post-ofice address,, aud the name Of each
member of a firm, where 3 company offers,
should be distinctly stated.
Is. Bidders are requested to use. as far as
practicable, the printed proposals furnished by
the department, to write out in full the sum Of
their bids, and to retain copies of them,
Altered bids should not be submitted; nor
should bids once submitted be Withdrawn. No
withdrawal of a bidder or guarantor will be
allowed unless the Withdrawal l. received twen-
ty-four hours previous TO the time fixed for open
Each bid must be guaranteed by two respon-
sible persons. The bid and guarantee should be
signed plainly with the full name of each per-
son.
The Postmaster General reserves the right to
reject any bid which may be deemed extrava-
CANT; and also to disregard the bids of failing
contractors and bidders. (Aet of June s, 1872,
section 24o.) !.
ls. The bid should be sealed, superscribed
Mail Proposals, State of --," addressed
Second Assistant Postmaster General, Con-
tract Oflce,,t and sent by mail, not by or to an
agent. Bids of $4,000 per annum and
upward must be accompanied by a GER
tilted check or draft on some solvent
national bank, equal to o per cent. of the
amount. (See law of Congress of June 8, 1871
IL. The contracts are to be executed and returned
to the Department BY or before the LIST dny Of June,
cred as hdpfugJ failed. and the Postmaster General
may proceed 10 contract for the service lotth other
parties, according to tdD.
Transfers of contracts. or of interests in con-
tracts are forbidden by law, and c~onse4usntl y
cannot be allowed. Neither can bids, or inter-
ests in bids, be transferred or assigned to other
parties. Bidders will therefore take notice that
they will be expected to perform the service
awarded to them through the whole contract
term.
Is. Section 249 of the act of June s. 1872, pro-
vides that contracts for the transportation oil
the mail shall be awarded TO the lowe st bidder
rendering sufficient guarantees for faithful per
! formance, without other reference TO the mode
Of SUCH transportation than may be necessary to
provide for the due CELEBRITY, certainty and secu-
rity thereof" Under this law bids that pl oppose
to transport the mails with "celertty, certainty,
and security having bsen decided to be the only
legal buds, az construed as prouiding JoT the en-
tire mail, hotoeuer large, and a~ohdteper may be the
mode Of conveyance necessary to insure rs 'cs
lerttV, certainty, and security" and haze the pref
erence ouer all others, and no others are consid-
cred, except for steamboat routes
10. A modification of a bid In any of its essen
tial terms Is tantamount to q new bid, and can.
not be received, SO as to interfere with regular
competition. Making a new bid, with guarantee
and certificate, is the only way to modify a pre-
vious bid.
~. Postmasters are to be careful not to certify
to the sufficiency of guarantors without knowing
that they are persons of sufficient responsibility
(See section PAT, act of June 8, 1879 They must
notsign the certificate until the sum OF the bid Is
| inserted, and the bid and guarantee are signed
by the bidder and (two) guarantors a disregard
0fthts obstruction by p~ostrndsters a1tH SUBJECT them
to Immediate removal, and to severe penalties.
Postmasters are also liable to dismissal from
office for acting as agents of contractors or bid
ders. with or without compensation, In any busl-
ness, matter, or thing, relating TO the mail ser
| vice. They are the trusted agents of the Depart
| ment, and cannot consistently act in both capa-
cities
81. All bidders. guarantors, and sureties are
distinctly notified that on a failure to enter into
or perform the contracts for the service proposed
for In the accepted bids, their legal liabilities will
be enforced against them.
% Present contractors, and persons known
at the Department., must, equally with Others,
| procure gurantors and certificates of their suffl-
cheney substantially IN the forms above pre-
scribed. The certificate of sutticiency must be
signed by a postmaster.
JNO A +. CRESWELL,
ia l3-6w Postmaster General