The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-11-13

selres on this point, and also. in refer.
cnce 10 the weight of the mail, the con-
dition of hills, roads. streams, &c. and
all toll-bridges, turnpikes, plank-roads,
ferries. or distractions of any kim! by
which expense may be incurred. M
claim for additional pay based on such
ground, can be considered nor for al
legged mistakes or misapprchcnsion as
TO the degree of service: nor for bridg-
es destroyed, ferries discontinued, or
other ObstructiOns causing or incrcas-
ing distance or expense occurring dur
ing the contract term. Offices estab-
lished after this advertisement is issu-
ed. and also during the contract term.
are to be visited without extra pay. if
the distance be not increased.
IL. Bidders are cautioned 10 mail
their proposals in time to reach the de-
partment by the day and hour named
Is p. M, Feb. 2 1874, as bids received
after that time sciU not be considered
in competition with bids, of reasona-
bic amount, received in time. Neither
can bids be considered which are with
out the guarantee required by law and
certificate of the sufliciency of such
guarantee, and the oath of the bidder
according TO section 246, act of June 8,
1872.
| IL. Bidders should first propose for
service strictly according TO the adver-
tisement, and then, if they desire. sep
d,'ateiy for different service, and if the
/ regular bid he the lowest for the ad-
vertised service,t the other propositions
may be considered.
IL. There should be but one route
bid for in proposal. Consolidated or
combination bids (.proposing one sum
FOR two or more routes'') cannot be
considered.
IA. The route,t the service. the yearly
pay. the name and residence of the bid
der (that is, his usual pOstOffice adj
dress. and the name Of each member
OF firm, where company offers,
should be distinctly stated.
ID. Bidders are requested TO use, as
far as practical, 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 SUBMIT
ed nor should bids once submitted be
Withdrawn. No withdrawal of a bidder
or guarantor will be allowed unless the
withdrawal is received twenty-four
hours previous to tire time fixed for
opening the proposals.
Each bid must be guaranteed by two
responsible persons. The bid and
guarantee should be signed plainly
with the full name Of each person.
The postmaster general reserves the
right to reject any bid which may be
deemed eXtravagant; and also to dis
regard the bids of failing contractors
and bidders. (Act of June 8, 1872, sec
ton 249
Is. The bid should be sealed, super
scribed Mail Proposals, State of -"
addressed Second Assistant Postmas-
ter General, Contract Office" Bids
of $1,000 and upwards must be accom-
panied by certified check or draft ON
some solvent national bank, equal to 5
per cent Of the amount; also bids for
services which now costs $1,000 or
more per annum. Where the present
pay is IS 900, or moro, it is stated in the
advertisement under the appropriate
route.
Ia. The contracts are to be executed
and returned to the department BY or
before tie Isl day of June, 1874, other
Wisc the accepted bidder ,ciU be consia-
cred as haring failed, and the Postmos-
ter General may proceed to contract
wifh other parties, according TO lar.
Transfers of contracts. or of interest
in contracts, are forbidden by law and
consequently cannot be allowed. Nei-
Their can bids, or interest in bid, be
transferred or assigned to other par
tics. Bidders will therefore take no.
tice that they will be expected to per-
form the service awarded to them
through the whole contract term.
Is. Section 249 of the act of June 8,
1872, provides that contracts for trans
portion of the mail shall be awarded
to the lowest bidder rendering suffi-
cient guarantee for faithful perform
ance, without other reference TO the
mode of such transportation than may
be necessary TO provide for the due ce-
lcrity certainty and security thereof"
Under this law bids that propose to
transport the mails with "celerity. Ger
foiaty and security" hare been decided
to DC tie only legai bids. are construed
as proridiag for the entire mail, how-
erer large, md whmerer may be the
mode Of conveyance necessary to IN
sHre its "celeriiy, certainty and sec,n'-
ify, and hare the preference Deer all
Others and no others are considered, ex-
cept for steamboat routes.
10. A modification of a bid in anv
Of its essential terms is tantamount TO
a new bid, and cannot be received, so
as to interfere with regular COMPETE
ton. Making new bid, with guaran-
tee and certificate, is the only way TO
modify previous bid.
20. Postmasters are to be careful
not to certify TO the sufiicicncy of
guarantors without knowing that they
are persons of sufiicicn, responsibility.
{Scc section 2i7, act of June Sth, 1872
They must not sign the certificate I'M
ill the sum of the bid is inserted, and
the bid and guarantee are signed by
the bidder and (two) guarantors a dis
regard Of this instruction Jy the post
master wiU subject them to immediate
remOrdI and to Serere penalties.
Postmasters are also liable to dismiss
sal from office for acting rs agents of
contractors or bidders. with or without
compensation i'm anybusiness. matter or
thing relating To the mail service.
They are the trusted agents of the de-
partmcnt, aud cannot consistently act
IN both capacities.
81. All bidders, guarantors. and
suretics 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 liabili- |
ties will be enforced against them.
-. Present contractors, and persons
known at the department, must. equal
ly with others. procure guarantors and
certificates of their sufliciency substan- |
tally in the form above prescribed.
The certificate of sufticiencv must be
sin9ed by 4 postmaster. 1
%. In all cases where the route is not
fully supplied with the necessary locks /
and pouches, il is the duty of the post T,
master at the head of the route to |
make requision on the Contract office |
of this department for such locks and !
pouches before the first day Of lst July |
next, provided the route be let.
JNo. A. j. CREswELL,
Postmaster General. /