Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-09-25

or decrease in the business OF any post
/ Office, the Postmaster. General may adjust
the salary of the postmaster at such office,
to take effect from the first day of the quar-
ter or period the returns for which form
! the basis of reimbursement"
''SEC. SO. That the Postmaster-G General
may designate offices at the intersection of
| mail-roules, as distributing or separating
! Offices and where any such office is of the
| third or fourth class he may make rea-
| sonable allowance to the postmaster for the
necessary cost of clerical services arising
from such duties.'
SEC. 10. That section two hundred and
| forty-iiVe section two hundred and forty
| six, section two hundred aud iorty.seven,
section two hundred and fifty. one, and
section two hundred and iifly three of the
act entitled AN act to revise, consolidate
! a.d amend the statutes relating TO the Post
| ONCE Department, approved June eighth,
eighteen hundred aud seventy-twO, be
amended to read rs follows:
"SEc. 245. That every proposal for car
rying the mail shall he accompanied by the
bond of the bidder, with sureties approved
by II pos master, and in cases where the
amount of the bond exceeds five thousand
dollars by Il postmaster of the first, second,
or third class, in a sum to he designated
by tho POstuHster-Gonerali in the adver-
tisemcut of each route; to which bond a
condition shall I've annexed, that If the
said bidder shall, within such time after
his bid is accepted as the Postmaster Gem
eral shall prescribe, enter into Il contract
with the United States of America, with
good and sufficient sureiiCs, TO be apprOv-
cd 10y tho Postmaster General, to perform
the said service proposed in his said bid,
aud, 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
aud in case of Failure ofanY bidder TO on
ter into such contract to perform the scr
vice, or, having executed contract, in
case Of failure to perform the service, ac-
cOrding to his contract, he and his sureties
shall he liable for the amount of said bond
as liquidated damages, to be recovered in
nm action of debt on the said bond. No
proposal shall be considered unless it shall
I've accompanied by such bond, and there
shall have been affixed TO said proposal the
| oath of the bidder, taken before an officer
qualified to administer oaths, that he has
the ability, pccuniarily, 10 fulfill his obli-
cations, aud 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
"SrC. 2i6 That before the bond of a bid
der provided for in the aforesaid section Is
approved. there shall he indo"Sed thereon
the oaths of the suretics therein, taken he
fore an officer qualified To administer oaths,
that they are owners of real estate. worth,
| in the aggregate, n sum double tive amount
| of the said bond, over and above all debts
| due and owing by them, and all judgments,
| mortgages, and executions against them,
after allowing all exemptions of every
| character whatever"
"SEC. 2i7. That any postmaster who
| shall atiiN his sigma uro to the approval of
| any bond of bidder, or to tho certificate
| of sutlicieucy of sureties in any contract
| before the said bond or contract is signed
| by the bidder or contractor and his sure
Oh L 81 Wn+fll ~ I,p
exercise of duo diligence. approve any
bond of a bidder with insufficient surPtles,
| or shall knowingly make any false or
| fraudulent certificate, shall he forth with
| dismissed from office. and be thereafter
! disqualified from holding the office Of post
master, and shall also be deemed guilty Of
n misdemeanor, and, on conviction there
| Of be punished by fine not exceeding
five thousand dollars, or 10y imprisonment
not exceeding one year, or both"
SEC. 2jl. That amer any regular bid
| der whose bid has been accepted shall fail
to enter into contract for the transporta-
ton of the mails according 10 his prupos al,
or, having entered into contract, shall fail
| to commence the performance of the ser
vice stipulated in his or their contract as
| therein provided, the Postmaster General
| shall proceed to contract with the next
lowest bidder for the same service, who
will enter into a contract for the perform
| ance thereof, unless the Postmaster GEN
| cral shall consiuer such bid too high, in
| which case he shall re-advertiso such SER
| vice. Ana if any bidder whose bid has
been accepted, and who has entered into a
contract 10 perform the service according
To- his proposal, and in pursuance of his
contract has entered upon tho performance
of the service, to the satisfaction Of the
General, shall subsequently
fail or refuse to perform the service accord
Ing To his contract, the POstnIastcr-General
shall proceed To- contract with the next
lowest bidder for such service, under the
advertisement thereof, (unless tho POstmas-
etr-General shall consider such bid too
highD who will enter into contract and
give bond, with sureties, to be approved
10y 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 contain
ell IN the bond which accompanied his bid;
but in case each and every of the next low
est bidders for such service whose respect
i've bids are not considered too high by the
P0stmaster-Ge shall refuse to enter
into contract and give bond as herein re-
quired for the faithful performance OF his
contract, the Pdstmaster-General shall i'm
mediately advertise fore proposals to per-
form the service on said route. Whenever
an accepted bidder shall fail to onter into
contract, or contractor on any mail-route
shall fail or refuse 10 perform the service
on said route according to his contract, or
when new route shall be established, or
new service required, or when from any
other cdnee there shall not he a contractor
legally bound or required to perform such
service, the Postmaster General may max @
a TEN purary contract for carrying the mail
on such route, without advertisement, foI
such period as may he necessary, not in
any case exceeding six months, until the
service shall have commenced under a
contract made according to law: Provided
! hOUcUcT, Tina, the POstmaster-ieneral shall
not employ temporary service on any
route at higher price than that paid 10 the
contractor who shall have performed the
service during the last preceding regular
contract term. And in all cases of regular
contracts hereafter made. the contract may
in the discretion OF the Postmaster Gener.
al, be continued in force beyond its eX-
press terms for period not exceeding six
months, until new contract with the
same, or other contractors, shall DO made
by the Postmaster General"
"SEC. 253. That hereafter all bidder.
upon every mail-rOute for the transporla.
ton of the mails upon the same, where tho
annual compensation for the service Oh
UGH route at the time exceeds the sum o
: five thousand dollars, shall nccompany
their bids with "A certified check or DRAFT
. | payable to the order OF the Postmaster
General, upon some solvent national bank
which check or drat shall not be less thar
hYe per cnntum ON the amount of the AN
nual pay on said route at the timo such bic
is made, and, in case of new or mOdteC
service, not less than five per cenluIn .
the amount of the bond OF the bidder re
, quired 10 accompany his bid, ifthe amour
Oi line said bond exceeds five thousand dol
; lars. In case any bidder, on being award
Ell any such contract, shall fail To eXecul,
the same, with good aud sufficient surelies
according 10 the terms on which sucn bic
was made and accepted, aud enter upol
the performance OF Inc service To tho salts
, faction Of the Postmaster General, sucl
bidder shall, in addition to his liability OF
, his bond accompanying his bid, forfeit tn
amount so deposited t. the United States
! and the same shall forthwith be paid int
| tup Treasury TOR thp usp nf tho pnSl-lflip