Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-02-25

cry mall route for the transportation or the
mails upon the same, compensation for the ser
vice on such route at the time exceeds the sum Of
FIVE thousand dollars, shall accompany their
bids with certified check or draft, pryable to
the order of the Postmaster General upon some
solvent national bank, which check or draft
shall not be less than five per centum on the
amount of the annual pay on said route at the
time such bid is made, and in case of new ser
vice, not less than five per centum of the
amount of one years pay proposed In such bid,
if the bid exceed five thousand dollars per an.
mum. In case any bidder. on being awarded
anv such contract, shall fail to execute the same,
with good and sufficient sureties, according t.
the terms on which said bid was made and ac-
cepted, and enter upon the performance OF the
service to the satisfaction of the Postmaster
General, such bidder shall forfeit the amount so
deposited to the United States, and the same
shall, forthwith be paid into the Treasury for
the use of the Post-Ofice Department; but if
such contract shall be duly executed and the
service entered upon as aforesaid, such draft or
check so deposited shall be returned to the bid
der.
Sec. 254 That any person or persons bidding
for the transportation of the mails upon any
route which may be advertised to be let. and
receiving an award of the contract for such ser
vice, who shall wrongully refuse or fail to en-
ter into contract with the Postmaster General
in due form. ana perform the service described
in his or their bid or proposal, shall be deemed
guilty of o misdemeanor, and, on conviction
thereof, be punished by fine not exceeding
five thousand dollars and by imprisonment for
a term not exceeding twelve months
Sec 255 That the Postmaster General, when
ever he may deem it consistent with the public
interest, may accept new surety upon any con-
tract existing or hereafter made for carrying the
mails. in substitution for and release of any ex-
listing surety :,
Sec. 256 That no contract for carrying the mail
shall be made for a longer term than four years,
and no contract for carrying the mail on the
sea shall be made for a longer term than two
years.
Sec. PSI. That whenever, by reason of any
error. omission, or other cause, any route which
should properly be advertised for the regular
lifting is omitted, it shall be the duty of the
Postmaster General to advertise the same as
soon as the error or omission shall be discov-
cred and the proposals for such route shall be
opened as soon as possible after the other pro-
DOS ais in the contract made under such supple
mentary advertisement shall run, as nearly as
possible from the beginning to the
end of the regular contract term, and,
during the time necessarily lost by
reason of such error, omission,
provide for the carrying of the mail on such
route at as low rate as possible, without adver-
Using
Sec 25S That whenever it becomes necessa-
~ to change the terms of an existing contract
for carving the mail otherwise than as provid
hundred and sixty one, notice thereof shall be
given and proceedings had thereon the same as
at the letting Of original contracts,
Sec 80 That no person whose bid Tor carry
ing the iuail is accepted shall receive any pay
until he has executed his contracts according
to law and the regulations of the Department.
Sec 260. That compensation for additional
service in carrying the mail shall shall not be
in excess OF the exact proportion which the
original compensation bears to the original SER
Il, Il
ordered. the sum to be allowed therefor shall
be expressed IN the order, and entered upon the
books of the Department; and no compensa-
ton shall be paid for any additional regular
service rendered before the issuing of such or
der.
Sec 2Gl. That no extra allowance shall be
made for any increase Of expedition in carry
ing the mail unless thereby the employment of
additional stock and carriers is made necessa-
~, and in such case the additional compensa-
ton shall bear no greater proportion to the ad-
dional stock and carriers necessarily employed
than the compensation in the original contract
bears to the stock and carriers necessarily en-
ployed in its execution.
Sec 262. That the Postmaster General shall
deliver to the Auditor for the Post-Office De-
partment within sixty days after the making of
any contract for the mail, a duplicate copy
thereof.
Sec 263. That the Postmaster General, after
advertising proposals, may enter into contracts
or make suitable arrangements for transporting
the mail through any foreign country, between
any two points in the United States, and such
transportation shall be by the speediest, safest,
and most economical route; and ali contracts
therefor may be revoked whenever any new
road or canal shall be opened affnrding a speed
Ter, moro economical, and equally safe trans
portation between the same points but in case
of the revocation of any such contract, q fair
indemnity shall be awarded to the contractor.
Sec. 264. That the Postmaster General may
contract with the owner or master of any steam
boat plying upon the waters of the United
States or Of any steamship or other vessel ply
ing between ports of the United States, for car
rying the mail for any length of time less than
four years. and without advertising for propos-
ais therefor, whenever the public interest and
convenience will thereby be promoted; but the
price paid fer such service shall in no case
be greater than the average price paid under
the last preceding or then existing regular con
tract on the same route
Sec. 265. That the Postmaster General may
enter into contracts for carrying the mail, with
railway companies, without advertising for bids
therefor; and the Postmaster General may al
low any railroad company with whom he may
contract for the carrying of the United States
mail and who furnish railway post-office cars
for the transportation of the mail, such addi-
tiona compensation beyond that now allowed
by law as he may think fit, not exceeding, how
ever, fifty per ceEtum of the said rates.
Sec. 266 That the Postmaster General may
make deductions from the pay of contractors,
for failures to perform service according to con-
tract and impose fines upon them for other de-
linquencies. He may deduct the price of the
trip in all cases where the trip is not performed
and not exceeding three times the price if the
fiilure be occasioned by the fault Of the con
tractor or carrier.