National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-09

| laws in relation to the establishment OF post
and that viii honestly and truly account for and
pay over any money belonging to the said United
States which may come into my possession or con-
troll So help me God.
BY section 10 of the act Of June g. 1872, every
pereon employed in the postal service Is subject
to all the pains, penalties and fOrfeitures for Vio-
latton OF the laws relating 70 sleh service,
whether he has taken the above oath or afirma-
ton or not.
| SECTIONS OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS ITO REVISE,
CONSOLIDATE AND AMEND THE STATUTES RE
LATINO TO THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT"
| APPROVED JUNE 8, lSS2
| The Postmaster General requests that bidders,
| guarantors, sureties and all persons concerned,
/ or intending to be concerned in mail contracts,
will carefully read and critically examine the alb
stract Of laws here presented, Gud also the forms
and Instructions at the end OF this advertisement,
in order that bids may be made and liabilities as
sumed understandingly, and that all misappre-
tensions or cause Of complaint hereafter may be
| avoided.
Postmasters are required to make themselves
| familiar with these laws and Instructions that
they may be able to inform and direct others.
Posfmastsrs, clerks, &C., cannot be contractors.
| Sec. Is. That no postmaster, assistant post
MASTER or clerk employed in any post office, shall
be contractor or concerned in contract for car
| ryiDg the mail.
Persons in the employ of the Post Office Depart
iasIees IN a eoafSae sor e Sei a SsSGf
contractors or bidders.
Sec. II. That no person employed In the Post
Once Department shall become interested in any
contract for carrying the mail, or act as agent,
with or without compensation, for any contractor
or person offering TO become a contractor in any
| SO offending shall be immediately dismissed from
office, and shall be liable to pay so much money
| as would have been realized from said contract,
to be recovered in an action Of debt for the Of
the Post ONCE Department
Nv ejaculation ~ tb. nan,-.,,o,. -, ,o--to.
should be employed who is under sixteen years Of
age and no bidder will be accepted who Il under
tWenty-one years Of age, or who is a married
woman.
Conveyance Of letters out Of the mail. Private
expresses, &c.
Sec. 227. That any person concerned in carry
ing the mall who shall collect, receive, or carry
any letter or packet, or cause procure the same
thereof for every such offence forfeit and pay not
exceeding nifty dollars.
Sec. rs. That no person shall establish any
private express for the conveyance Of letters or
packets or in any manner cause or provide for
the conveyance Of the same by regular trips or at
may Be- bg l% 81 from aGH ct "
town or place TO any city, town or place between
which the mail is regularly carried; and every
shall, for each offence, forfeit and pay one hun
dred and nifty dollars.
Sec. 20. That the owner Of every stage-eoaeh,
railWaycar, steamboat, or other vehicle vessel,
which shall, with the knowledge Of any owner, in
whole or in part, or with the knowledge or con-
niVance Of the driver conductor, master, or other
person having charge Of the same, convey any
person acting or employed as q private express
for the conveyance Of letters or packets, and act
uAlly in possession of the same for the purpose Of
conveying them contrary to the spirit, true in
tent or meaning Of this law, shall for every such
offence, forfeit and pay one hundred and nifty dol
lars.
Sec go. That no person shall transmit by pri-
vate express or other unlawful means, or deliver
to any agent Of such unlawful express or deposit,
or cause to be deposited, at any appointed place,
for the purpose of being transmitted, any letter
OF packet ana fSr every such offence me party SO
Sec. 81. That no stsge-coach, raIlwaycar,
steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel which regu-
lary performs trips at stated periods any post
route or from any city town or place to any other
city, town or place between which the mall Is reg
ularly carried shall carry, otherwise than in the
to some part Of the cargo Of such steamboat or
other vessel Tor to some article carried at the
time by the same stage-eoaeh, railWay-car other
vehicle, except as provided in section two hun
dred and thirty nine; and for every such offence
the owner of the stage-cOach, railway-ear, steam
pay one hundred dollars; and the driver, con-
ductor, master or other person having charge
thereof and not at the time owner OF the whole or
any part thereof shall in like manner forfeit and
pay for every such offence fifty dollars.
(Seetion 2S9 permits conveyance Of letters in
stamped envelopes otherwise than by NALL
The manner in which proposals shall be made
and the liability Of PoStnasterS.
Sec. 245. That every proposal for carrying the
mail shall be accompanied by the bond Of the
bidder, with sureties approved BY postmaster,
and in cases where the amount Of the bond ex-
ceeds i've thousand dollars, by a postmaster Of
the first, second, or third class, in sum to be
vertisement Of each route; to which bond q con-
dition shall be annexed, that If the said bidder
shall, within such time after his bid is accepted
into a contract with the United States Of Amer
lea, with good and sufficient sureties, to be ap-
proved by the Postmaster General TO perform
the Enrvfpp nrOnOSed n his said hid nd furthar
that he shall perform the said service according
to his contract, then the said obligation to be
void, otherwise to be in full force and obligation
in law; and in case Of failure Of any bidder to
enter into such contract to perform the service,
or, having executed contract, In case Of failure
to perform the service according to his contract,
he and his sureties shall be liable for the amount
Of said bond as uquidated damages, to be re-
% an aeh0n O. asSS On ps Il
be accompanied by such bond, and there shall
have been affixed to said proposal the oath of the
bidder, taken before an officer QualiEed to ad-
minister oaths, that he has the ability, pecuni--
arily, to fulfill his obligations and that the bid
is made in good faith, and with the intention to
enter into contract and perform the service in
case his bid is accepted.
Sec. 246. That before the bond Of a bidder pro-
Tided for in the aforesaid section is approved,
there shall be Endorsed thereon the Oaths Of the
sureties therein, taken before officer qualified
to administer oaths, that they are owners Of real
estate worth, in the aggregate, a sum double the
amount Of the said bond, over and above all debts
due and owing by them, and all judgments, mort
ing all exemptions Of every character whatever.
Sec. 247. That any postmaster who shall at1x
MS signature to the approval Of any bond Of =
sureties in any contract before the said bond or
contract is signed by the bidder or contractor and
his sureties, or shall knowingly, or without the
exercise Of due diligence, approve any bond of a
bidder with insufficient sureties, or shall know
ingly make any false or fraudulent certificate,
shall be forthwith dismissed from Office, and be
thereafter disqualified from holding the office of
postmaster, and shall also be deemed guilty Of
ished by fine not exceeding i've thousand dol
lars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year,
or both.
Service to be awarded to the loIrsst bidder Bids
Of Telling contractors may not be considered.
Sec. 249. That all contracts for carrying the
mail shall be in the name Of the United States,
and shall be awarded to the lowest bidder tender
ing sufficient guarantees for faithful performance,
without other reference to the mode Of transpor-
due celebrity, certainty and security thereof; but
the Postmaster General shall not be bound to
consider the bid Of any person who has willfully
or negigently failed to perform former contract.
COmbfnGtiOngtO prsrent bidding prohibited.
Sec. $50. That no contract for carrying the
mail shall be made with any person who has en-
tered, or proposed to enter, into any combination
to prevent the making OF any bid for carrying the
mail, or who has made any agreement, or given or
performed, or promised to give or perform, any
consideration whatever to induce any other person
not TO bid for any such contracts and If any person
his contract may be annulled and for the first
offence the person so offending shall be disquali-
fed to contract for carrying the mail for i've
years, and for the second offence shall be forever
disqualified.
Failing bidders and contractors. Contracts nay
be ertsnded and temporary contracts made.
Sec 25l. That after any regular bidder whose
bid has been accepted shall fail to enter into
tract for the transportation Of the mails accord
ing TO his proposal, or, having entered into con-
tract shall fail to commence the performance Of
the service stipulated in his or their contract as
proceed TO contract with the next lowest bidder
for the same service, who will enter into q con-
tract for the performance thereof, unless the
Postmaster General shall consider such bid too
high, in which case he shall readvertise such SER
vice. And II any bidder whose bid has been &C.
cepted, and who has entered into contract topper
form the service according 10 his proposal, and in
pursuance Of his contract has entered upon the
performance Of the service to the satisfaction Of
the Postmaster General shall subsequently fail or
refuse to perform the Service according to his con-
tract, the Postmaster General shall proceed to
contract with the next lowest bidder for such SER
vice under the advertisement thereof, (unless the
Postmaster General shall consider such bid too
high) who will enter into contract and give bond,
with sureties, to be approved by the Postmaster
General, for the faithful performance thereof in
the same penalty and with the same terms and
conditions thereto annexed as were stated and
but in case each and every Of the next lowest bid
-. Wuhn lea Na