National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-21
gatiuuaI gEpHblifatr.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES
PASSED AT THE FIRST SESSION OF THE
FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
IGExERAI NATURE, No. 9O.-COntinusd.l

ty-nrst, elghty-SecOnd, elgnLy-LhlrQ, eighty
fourth, and eighty-sixth sections of the said
statutes relating to the Post Office Depart
ment," approved June eighth, eighteen hun
dred and seYenty-two, be amended to read as
follows:
"sec. 63. That The postmasters, except the
postmaster at New York city, whose annual
salary is hereby fixed at six thousand dollars,
shall be divided into four classes, as follows !:
The first class shall embrace all those whose
annual salaries are not more than four thou
sand dollars nor less than three thousand dol
lars; the second class shall embrace all those
whose annual salaries are less than three thou
sand dollars but not less than two thousand
dollars; the third class shall embrace all those
whose annual salaries are less than two thou
sand dollars but not less than one thousand
dollars the fourth class shall embrace all
postmasters whose annual compensation, ex-
elusive of their commissions on the money-or-
der business Of their offices, amounts to less
than enc thousand dollars"
''Sec. 50, That the postmaster at New York
City and postmasteTs OF the nrst, second, ana
third classes shall be appointed and may be re-
moved by the President, by and with the advice
and consent Of the Senate, and shall hold their
offices for four years unless sooner removed or
suspended according to law; and Postmasters
of the fourth class shall be appointed and may
be removed by the Postmaster General, by
whom all appointments and removals shall be
notified to the Auditor for the Post Office De-
partment."
HsSec. 81. That the compensate of the post
master at New York City shall be six thousand
dollars per snnum, and the respective compen-
Stations of pOstmGstcrs of the first, second and
third classes shall be annual salaries, assigned
in even hundreds of dollars, and payable in
quarterly payments, 20 be ascertained and fixed,
by the POstmaster-GeneraI, from their respec-
tive quarterly returns to the Auditor for the
Post-OfiCe Department, or copies or duplicates
thereof, for four quarters Immediately proceed
ing the adjustment or reimbursement, by adding
to the whole amount of bOX-rents, not exceed
ing two thousand dollars per annum, commits
sions also not to exceed two thousand dollars
per aunum on the other postal revenues Of the
office, at the following rates, namely: On the
f rst one hundred dollars per quarter, fifty per
Centum; on all over one hundred dollars and
not over four hundred dollars per quarter, forty
per Centum; on all over four hundred dollars and
not oyer two thousand four hundred dollars per
quarter, thirty per centum; and on all over
two thousand four hundred dollars per quar-
ter, ten per centum. And in order to ascertain
the amount of the postal receipts of each Office,
the Postmaster General may require poStmas-
tiers to furnish duplicates Of their quarterly re-
turns to the Auditor at such times and for such
periods as he may deem necessary in each case:
Provided, That whenever, by reason Of the eX-
tension Of free delivery of letters, the box
rents of any post office are decreased, the Post
master OeQ6Tdl may 2llOW, OuL Vi llG EGCElpbb
of such Office, sum sufficient TO maintain the
salary thereof ct the amount at Hhich it had
been fixed before the decrease in bOx-rents."
''Sec. 81. That the compensation of post |
masters of the fourth class shall be the box
rents collected at their offices and commissions
on other postal revenues Of their Offices at the
rate of sixty per centUm on the first one hun
.dred dollars or less per quarter; fifty per
centum on the next three hundred dollars or
less per quarter; forty per ccntum on the eX- |
cess above four hundred dollars per quarter; |
the same to be ascertained and allowed by the |
Auditor In the settlement of the quarterly |
accounts of such pOstmssters: Provided, That |
when the aggregate annual compensation, eX-
elusive of commissions on money order busi- |
ness, of anv postmaster of this class shall |
amount to one thousand dollars, the Auditor |
shall report such fact to the Postmsster-Gen- |
eral, in order that such postmaster may be |
assigned to his proper class, and his salary |
fixed as heretofore provided"
''Sec. So. That the salaries Of postmasters Of
the first second, and third classes, except that
of the postmaster ct New York city, shall be |
re-adlusted by the Postmaster General once In |
two years, and in special cases as much oftener /
as he may deem eXpedient."
"Sec s.. That the Posrmaster-General shall |
make all orders assigning or changing the sala-
RES of postnasteTs in writing, and record them |
in his Journal, and notify the change TO the
Auditor; and any change made IN such salaries |
EQall BOT take eject ulGll Lu6 uIek u4y VI INC /
quarter next following such order: PrOUided, |
That in cases of not less than fifty per centum |
increase or decrease in the business Of any post |
Office, the PostmRster-General may adjust the !
salary of the postmaster at such office, TO take |
effect from the first day of the quarter or pc
Rod the returns for which form the basis of
readjUstment.
"Sec Sc. That the Postmaster-General may
designate Offices at the intersection Of mail
routes as distributing or separating offices; and
where any such Office is Of the third or fourth |
class he may make q reasonable allowance to
the postmaster for the necessary cost Of cleri-
cal services arising from such duties"
Sec II. That section two hundred and forty |
five, section two hundred and forty six, section |
two hundred and fOrty-seven, section two hun |
dred and ffty-One, and section two hundred |
ffty-three Of the act entitled Gan act to re- |
wise, consolidate and amend the statutes re-
lating to the Post ONCE Department, approved |
June eighth, eighteen hundred and seventy |
two, be amended to read as follows:
''Sec. 245. That every proposal for carrying !
the mail shall be accompanied by the bond Of
the bidder, with sureties approved by post. |
master, and in cases where the amount OF
the bond exceeds FIVE thousand dollars, by |
q postmaster Of the first, -.eond, or third |
class, in q sum TO be designated by the |
Postmaster-General in the advertisements Of
each route; to which bond o condition shall be |
annexed that ifthe said bidder shall within such
time after his bid is accepted as the Postmas- |
ter General shall prescribe, enter into con- |
tract with tho United States Of America, with |
good and sufficient sureties, to be approved by |
the Postmaster General, to perform the service |
proposed in his said bid, and, further, 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 g 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 liquidated dam
ages, to be recovered in an action Of debt on |
the said bond. No proposal shall be consider |
cd unless It shall be accompanied by such |
bond, and there shall have been affixed to said |
proposal the oath of the bidder, taken before |
al officer qualified 70 administer oaths, that he |
mas the ability, peCuniarily, to fulfill his obiga
tiOns 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 o bidder |
provided for In the aforesaid section is ap- |
proved, there shall be Endorsed thereon the
paths Of the sureties therein, taken before IN /
officer qualified to administer oaths, that they /
are owners Of real estate, worth, in the aggre-
gate, sum double the amount OF the said /
bond, over and above all debts due and owing |
by them, and oil judgments, mortgages, and l
executions against them, after allowing all |
exemptions OF every character whatever"
sec. 247. That any postmaster who shall |
aflX his signature to the approval Of any bond |
of q bidder, or 70 the certificate of suficiency |
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 q bidder with insufficient suretics, or |
shall knowingly make any false or fraudulent |
certificate, shah lie forthwith dismissed from |
Office, and be thereafter disqualified from hold |
ing the Office Of postmaster, and shall also be |
deemed guilty Of a misdcmeanOr, and, on con-
victlon thereof, be punished by fine moi eX-
ceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprison- /
ment not exceeding one year, or both"
"Sec. 25l. That after any regular bidder .
whose bid has been accepted shall fail to enter F.
into contract for the transportation of the |
mails according to his proposal, or, having en-
tered into contract, shall fail to commence the |
performance of thC service stipulated in his or |
Sheir contract as teerei9 provided, the Post |
master General shall proceeG 20 contract with |
the next lowest bidder for the same servics,
whowfIl enter into q contract for the perform
ance thereof, unless the Postmaster General |