The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-18

| usual post-ofTlce address,, aud the name of each
| member of a firm, where u 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| should bids once submitted be Withdrawn. No
| withdrawal of bidder or guarantor will be
allowed unless the Withdrawal is received TWEEN
ty-four 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-
CANT; and also TO disregard the bids Of failing
contractors and bidders. (Act of June s, 1872,
section 249)
10. The bid should be sealed, superscribed
Mail Proposals, State of --," addressed
Second Assistant Postmaster General, Con-
tract Office and sent by mail, not by or to an
agent. Bids of $1,000 per annum and
upward must be accompanied by a GER
national bank equal to 8 per cent. of the
amount (See law of Congress of June s, 1871
IL. The contracts are TO De executed and returned
70 ne Department By or before the LIST day Of June,
1873, otherwise the accepted bidder toiu be consid-
cred as hdutug failed, and the Postmaster General
may proceed 10 contract for the seruice Nth other
parties, according to lao.
Transfers of contracts, or of interests in con-
tracts are forbidden by law, and consequsn 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 to 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 CELEBRITY, certainty and secu-
rity thereof" Under this law bids that pr oppose
TO transport the mails with celebrity, certainty,
and security" haUtng been decided to be the only
legal bids, are construed proUiding for the en-
tire mail holoerer large, and ,ohdteUer 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. A modification of a bid in any of It's essen
tial terms is tantamount TO q new bid, and can.
not be received, so as to interfere with regular
competition. Making new bid, with guarantee
and certificate, is the only way to modify n pre-
vious bid
90 Postmasters are to be careful not to certify
to the sufiiciency of guarantors without knowing
that they are persons of sufficient responsibility.
(See section 247, act of June s, 1s72) 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 disregard
Qfthfs instruction by postmasters ,oiU subject them
to Immediate removal, and to severe penalties.
Postmasters are also liable to dismissal from
office for acting as agents of contrustors or bid
ders, with or without compensation In any bush
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 eapa-
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 sufh-
cheney substantially IN the forms above pre-
scribed. The certificate of suiliciency must be
signed by postmaster.
JNO. A. ]. CRESWELL,
ia l3-6w Postmaster General