The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-19

usual post-office address, aud the name of eacf
member of firm, where n company offers
should be distinctly stated.
TO- Bidders are requested to use, as far as
practicable, the printed proposals furnished BY
| the department, TO write out in full the sum o
| their bids, and to retain copies of them,
| Altered bids should not be submitted; MOI
| should bids once submitted be Withdrawn. Nc
| withdrawal OF q bidder or guarantor will be
allowed unless the Withdrawal Is received twen-
tyfour hours previous TO the time fixed for open
| ing the proposals.
| 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-
giant and also to disregard the bids of failing
contractors and bidders. (Act Of June 8, 1879,
49, The bid should be sealed, superscrlbed
Mail Proposals, State of -" addressed
Secogd Assistant Postmaster General, Con-
tract Office" and sent by mail, not by or to an
agent. Bids of $4,000 per annum and
upward must be accompanied by a GER
titled check or draft on some solvent
national bank, equal to per cent. of the
amount (See law of Congress Of June s, 1879 }
IL The cont acts are to be executed aud returned
to the Department By or before the lst dny of June
1873 othertotse the accepted bidder aoiH be consid-
cred as hdvtug failed, and the Postmaster General
may proceed to contract for the Serutce aoh other
parties according to lao.
Transfers of C ,ntracts, or of interests In con-
tracts are forbidden by law, and eonse4usn tly
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 10 the lowest 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 celer ty, certainty and secu-
rity thereof" Under this law bids that p, oppose
to transport the mails with "ceterity, certainty,
and security hautng been decided to be the only
legal bids al construed as proufdtng Jor the en-
tire mail however large and 1hdteuer may be the
mode Of conveyance necessary to insure ITS zee
lerity certainty, and security and haze the pref
erence orer all Others and no others are consid.
cred, except for steamboat routes.
10. modification of bid in any of it's essen
tial terms is tantamount to 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 pre-
vious bid.
81. Postmasters are to be careful not to certify
to the suf1cieucy of guarantors without knowing
that they are persons of sufficient responsibility.
(See section 247, act of June s, lS72 They must
not sign the certificate until the of the bid is
inserted, and the bid and guarantee are signed
by the bidder and (two) guarantors; disregard
to Immediate removal, and to Seuere penalties.
Postmasters are also liable to dismissal from
office for acting as agents OF contractors or bid
ders. with or without compensation, IN any busi-
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 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 suficiency must be
signed by postmaster.
JNO. A J. CRESWELL,
Ia l3-6w Postmaster General