New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-02
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST.
MASTERS:

MASTERS:
oNTAINISG ALSO CONDITIONS TO BE IycnRFoRA.
TED IN THE CONTRACTS To THE EXTENT THc
DEPARTMENT MAY DEEM PROPER.
l.; Seven minutes ere allowed to each inter.
Mediate Office, when not otherwise specified, for
ssorting the mails.
2 On routes where the mode of conveyance
dmltS OF 1t, the special agents of the Post Oics
department., also post Office blanks. mail bags
charge.
5. Way bills" or receipts prepared by post
'7sters or other agents of the Department will
company the mails, specifying the number
: d destln alton Of the several bags, TO be exam
Hed by the posimasters, TO insure regularity il
10 delivery of bags and pouches.
l. no pay will he made for trips, not per
.rmed; and for each of such omissions. if the
i!ure be occasiOned by tho fault of the con
ractor or carrier, three times the pay of tho
RIP VIII be deducted. For arrivals so far be-
ma time as break connection with depending
ralls, and not sufficiently excused, one fourth
II me compensation for the trip is subject to
'orfeiture. For repeated delinquencies of the
tind herein specified. enlarged penalties. pro
porlloned to the nature thereof, and the import.
ance OF tho mail, NAV be made
o. For leaving behind or throwing off the
mails or any portion of them, for the admission
Ut passengers or for being concerned in setting
up or running an express, conveying intelligence
IN advance OF the mail, quarters pay may be
deducted.
.. FINES will be imposed. unless tho delin.
quency be promptly and satisfactorily explained
ny certificates of postmasters, or the af:dayits
Of other credible persons for falling TO arrive in
contract time for neglecting to take the mail
from or deliver it into post office for suf-
'ering it to be wet, injured destroyed robbed,
or lost; and for refusing, after demand, TO con.
Fey the mail as frequently as the contractor runs,
n Is concerned IN running coach, car, or
teambOat on route
I. The Postmaster General NAV snnuI the
contract for repeated failures to run agreeabIy
TO contract for violating the post office laws or
disobeyng the instructions of the Department:
Tor refusing to discharge carrier when required
~ the Department to do so ; for running al ex-
press, as aforesaid, or for Transporting persons
" packages conveying mailabe matter out of
the mail.
8, lhe Postmaster General may order an in.
crease OF service on a route by allowing therefor
, pro -atd increase on the contract pay. He
may change schedules of departures and arrivals
n all cases, and particularly to make them con.
form to connections with railroads, without in.
crease of pay. provided the running time be not
abridged. The Postmaster General may also
discontinue or cuctail the service in whole or in
part, in order to place on the route superior ser.
vice, or whenever the public interest, in bis
Judgment shall require such discontnuance or
curtailment for any other cause he allowing ga
full indemnity to contractor one months extra
pay on the amount of service dispensed with.
and pro rata compensation for the amonnt of
service retained and continued.
o. Payne hts will be made BY collections from.
| or drafts on, posmasters or otherwise, after tho
expiration OF each qnarter-say in November,
February, May. and August-provided that re.
iuired evidence of service has been received
10 The distances given are believed to ba
substantially correct; but no increased nav will
be allowed should they be greater than sdyer.
| tsed, If the points to be supplied arc co rectly
| stated Bidders must inform themselves Of. this
poa';t ana also IN reference to the weight of The
mail, the condition of hills, roads streams. &c
aud all toll bridges, turnpikes, plank roads, fer.
| ries, or distractions of any kind by which ex.
pense may DO incurred. No claim for add ionaI
| pay. based on such ground, can be considered.
| nor Tor alleged mistakes or MISREPRESENTATION as
| 10 the degree OF service; nor for bridges de.
ItrOyed, ferries discontinued. or other obst-ue.
| tons causing or increasing distance or expense
securing during the contract term. Offices es
tablished after this advertisement is issued, md
also during the contract term, arc to be visited
v"h'nt extra pay, II the distance be not in
creased.
- bidders are cautioned to mail their propo.
| sails in time to reach the Department by the day
| md hour named, Is p. m, March 8, 1871 or
lids received after that time TOLL not Be coussdersa
| in competition with bids, of reasonable amount,
received in time Neither can bids be consid.
cred which are without the guarantee required BIZ
law, and certificate Of the sutficiency of such
guarantee and the oath of the bidder. according
10 section 246, act of June 8, 1872.
IL. Bidders should first propose for service
strictly according to the advertisement and then.
ithey desire, separately for different service; and
if the regular bid be the lowest offered for adver
tsed service the other proposition may be coz
sidered.
13. There should be but one route bid for in q
proposal. Consolidated or combination bids
(''proposing one sum for two or more routes''l
cannot be considered.
IA. The route, the service, the yearlypay, the
name and residence of the bidder, THAT is, his
usual post Office address,) and the name of each
member of firm, where company offers,
should be distinctly stated.
Is. Bidders are requested to use, as far as
practicable, the printed proposals furni shed 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 bidder or gus-antor will be al
lowed unless the withdrawal is received twenty.
tours hours previous to the time Fixed for open
ing the proposals.
; Each bid must be guaranteed by two responsi.
BILE persons. The bid and guarantee should be
signed plainly with the fall name of each person.
Inc postmaster OenSEal reserves lES fIgut 20
reject any bid which may be deemed eItravag
CANT aud also to disregard the bids of failin,
(, contractors and bidders (Act of juno g, 1872,
section 249.)
49, The bid should be sealed superscribed
I snail Proposals, State of - addressed
i .sSecond Assistant Postmaster General, Contract
= Office" and sent by mail, not by or to an agent
r Bids of 1000 per annum and upward must bt
8 accompanied by certified check or draft OF
! some solvent national bank, equal to 5 per cent
= of the amount. (See law of Congress of June
8, 1871
II. The contracts drs TO be ercclit:9 and re
turned to the Department byor befors the LIST dG,
Of June, 1S7S otheroisc the accepted bidder .cit
;. be considered as having failed and ths PostrsGs
= ter General may proceed TO contract for the ser
y y vice tcith other parties, according to lag.
y Transfers of contracts or Of interest in con
u tracts, ara forbidden by law, and consequent
70 cannot be allowed. Neither can bids or inter
est in bids. be transferred or assigned to othe
y parties. Bidders will therefore take notice tbs
they will be expected to perform the servic
awarded to them through the whole contrac
term.
10. Section 2i9 OF the act OF June 3, 1879
te proyides that contracts for the transportation
E. the mail shall be ''awarded to the lowest bidde
s. rendering sufficient guarantees for faithful pei
l.. ~ -. : ,e,oI