The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-25

usu1l post-of1ce address,, aud the name of each
member of q firm, where a company offers,
should be distinctly stated.
10. 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should bids once submitted be withdrawn. Nc
withdrawal of a bidder or guarantor will be
allowed unless the withdrawal is received twen-
ty-four hours previous 10 the time fixed for open
ing the proposals.
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 s, 1872,
section 249.D
l6. The bid should be sealed, superscribed
Mail Proposals, State Of" addressed
Second Assistant m 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 8 per cent. of the
amount. tSee law of Congress of June s, 1871
II. The contracts are TO be executed and returned
to the Department By or before the LIST dan of June,
1873, othertotse the accepted bidder toilL be consid-
cred as hactngJatIed, and the Postmaster General
mdy proceed to contract for the serUice tgith other
parties, according to Ian.
Transfers of contracts, or of interests in con-
tracts are forbidden by law, and consequsn fly
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 lowest bidder
rendering sufficient guarantees for faithful per-
Torrance, 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 propose
10 transport the mails with '~celerity, certainty,
and security" having bssn decided to be the only
legal bids, al e construed as provtding for the en-
tire mail, ho1oeuer large, and tDhdteUer may be the
MODE Of conveyance necessary to insure as zee.
erence oUer all others, and no others are consid-
cred, except for steamboat routes.
10. A modification of q bid in any of its essen
tial terms is tantamount TO a new bid, and can.
not be received, so as to interfere with regular
competition. Making anew bid, with guarantee
and certificate, is the only way to modify a pre-
vious bid.
90. Postmasters are to be careful not to certify
to the suffieiency of guarantors without knowing
that they are persons of sufficient responsibility.
(See section 247, act of June s, 1871 They must
not sign 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
VthiS instruction by postmdSterS lotH subject them
to Immediate removal, and to severe penalties.
Postmasters are also liable TO dismissal ffom
office for acting as agents of contractors or bid
ders. with or without compensation, IN any bust
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 sufficiency must be
signed by a postmaster.
JNO.A J. CRESWELL,
ia l3-6w Postmaster General