New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-23

| seal OF once, tnat the person VINO administered
the oath is a duly Qualified justice of the peace
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
MASTERS:
CONTAINING ALSO CONDITIONS TO BE IxcoRPoRA
| TED IN THE CONTRACTS TO THE EXTENT TIL
| DEPARTMENT MAY DEEM PROPER.
l. Seven minutes are allowed to each inter
mediate office, when not otherwise specified, fol
| asserting the mails.
2. On routes where the mode of conveyance
admits of it, the special agents of the Post Office
Department, also post office blanks, mail bags,
| locks and he, 5, are to lie conveyed without extra
charge.
3. Way bills or receipts, prepared by post
masters or other agents of the Department, will
accompany the mails, specifying the number
and destination OF the several bags, to be exam.
| ined by the postmasters, to insure regularity in
| the delivery of bags and pouches.
4. No pay will be made for trips, not per-
formed and for each of such omissions if the
failure be occasioned by the fault of the con-
| tractor or carrier, three times the pay of the
trip will be deducted. For arrivals SO far be-
hind time as break connection with depending
mails, and not sufficiently excused, one fourth
of the compensation for the "trip is subject to
forfeiture. For repeated delinquencies of the
kind herein specified, enlarged penalties, pro-
portioned TO the nature thereof, and the import
ance OF the mail, may be made.
5. For leaving behind or throwing off the
mails, or any portion of them, for the admission
of passengers or for being concerned in setting
up or running an express, conveying Intelligence
IN advance OF the mail, quarters pay may be
deducted.
6. Fines will be imposed, unless the delin
qnency be promptly and satisfactorily explained
by certificates of postmasters, or the atiidavts
of other credible persons for failing to arrive in
G.. Il l..
from or deliver it into post Office; for suf.
ferlng it to be wet, injured, destroyed robbed,
or lost; and for refusing, after demand, TO con-
vey the mail as frequently as the contractor runs,
or is concerned in running a coach, car, or
steamboat on a route.
7. The Postmaster General may annul the
contract for repeated failures TO run agreeably
to contract for violating the post office laws or
disobeying the instructions Of the Department
for refusing to discharge carrier when required
by the Department to do so ; for running an ex-
press as aforesaid, or for transporting persons
or packages conveying mailable matter ont OF
the mail.
8. The Postmaster General may order an in
crease Of service on a route by allowing therefor
a pro .dtd increase on the contract pay. lie
may change schedules of departures and arrivals
in 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
or curtail the service, in whole or in
part, in order TO place on the route superior ser
vice, or whenever the public interest, in his
Judgment, shall require such discontinuance or
cnrtailment for any other cause he allowing as
iuli indemnity to contractor one months extra
pay on the amount of service dispensed with.
and a pro rata compensation for the amount Of
service retained and continued
.; Payments will be made by collections from,
or drafts on, postmasters otherwise, after the
expiration Of each qnarter-say in November,