The Portland daily press., 1875-01-11

ennes of their offices at the rate of sixty per centum
on the first hundred dollars or less per quarter
fty ner centm ON the next three hundred dollars
less per quarter; forty per centrum on the excess
above four hundred dollars per quarter the same 10
he ascertained and allowed by the Auditor in the
settlement of the quarterly accounts of such post
masters Pr0vided That when the aggregate annual
compensation, exclusive of commissions on money,
order husness, of any postmaster of this class shall
amount to one thousand dollars, the Auditor shall
renort such fact .he General, in order
that such postmaster may be assigned to his proper
class and his salary fixed as heretofore provided"
CSC SO. That the salaries of postmasters OF the
first second and third classes, except that OF the
westminster at New York city, shall be adjusted by
the Postmaster General once in two years, and i'll
special cases as much oftener as he may deem e1-
pedient." =, T.,
make all orders assigning changing the salaries OF
postmasters in writing, and record them in his jour-
nal and notify the change to the Auditor; and any
until the first day of the quarter next following such
order: Provided, That in cases OF not less than
tffv ner eenum increase decrease in the business
of any post-ofice the Posimaster-General may adj
lust the salary of the postmaster at such Office to
take effect from the first day of the quarter or period
the returns for which form the basis OF re-adJust-
ment'
nate offices at the intersection OF mail-routes as dls
tributing or separating Offices and where any such
office is of the third or fourth class he may make
reasonable allowance to the postmaster for the neces-
sarv cost Of clerical services arising from such du-
SEQ. H. That section two hundred and forty-fve,
section two hundred and fortysix, section two hun
dred and forty -seven section two hundred and fifty
one and section two hundred and ffty-three of the
act entitled San act TO revise, consolidate and amend
the statutes relating to the Post Office Department,
approved June eighth, eighteen hundred and seven
ty-two, be amended to read as follows:
"SRC. 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 exceeds five thousand
dollars, by postmaster of the first, second orithrd
class in sum to be designated by the Postmaster
in the advertisement of each r0ute:
which bond condition shall be annexed, that if the
said bidder SHALL within such time after his bid Is
accepted as the shall prescribe,
enter into contract with the United States of Amer
ica with good and sufficient suretes, 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 into such contract to
perform the service having executed contract IN
case of failure to perform the service according to bis
contract, he and his sureties shall be liable for the
amount of said bond iqudated damages, to be re-
covered in an action of debt on the said bond. No
proposal shall be considered unless it shall be ac-
companed 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, pecuniarly to 1ulnli ms 6pga
with the intention to enter into contract and perform
the service in case his bid is accepted. --..
SEC. 246. That before the bond Of bidder provjd-
ed for in the aforesaid section is appro ed there shall
be Endorsed thereon the oaths of the suretes therein
taken before officer qualified to administer oaths
that they of real estate WORTH in the ag
gregate, q sum double the 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 ptions of every charac-
ter whatever.
"SEC. PAT. That any postmaster who shall afix his
signature to the approval OF any bond OF bidder OF
to the certificate of suicency of surees in any con-
tract before the said bond contract is signed by the
bidder contractor and his sureties or shall know
ingly or without the exercise of due diligence, APP
prove any bond of bidder with insufficient surees
shall knowingly make any false or fraudulent GER
tfcate shall be forthwith dismissed from once, and
be thereafter disquali, from holding the office OF
postmaster and shall also be deemed guilty OF mis-.
demeanor, and, on conviction thereof. be punished
by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by
imprisonment not exceeding one year. or both.'
'SEC. 251. That after any regular bidder whose bic
has been accepted shall fail to enter into contract fol
the transportation of the mails according to his pro-
posal Or having entered into contract shall fail tc
commence the performance of the service stipulated
in his their contract therein provided the Post
master General shall proceed to contract with the
next lowest bidder for the same service who will en-
ter into contract for the performance thereof un
less the Postmaster General shall consider such BIC
too high, in which he shall re-advertise sucI
service. And if any bidder whose bid has been &C
copied and who has entered into contract to per-
form the service according to his proposal, ana IN
pursuance of his contI has entered upon the per-
Torrance of the service to the satisfaction OF the
Postmaster General, shall subsequently fail or re-
fuse perform the service according to his contract
| the Postmaster General shall proceed to CONTRACT
with the next lowest bidder for such service, under
the advertisement thereof, (unless the POSTMASTER
General shall consider such bid too high) VINO VIII
enter into contract and give bond, with sureties, tt
be approved by the Postmaster General for the tsltn
full performance thereof, in the same penalty anc
| with the same terms and conditions thereto annexed
as were stated and contained in the bond when ac-
| companied his bid; but in case each and every Of
the next lowest bidders for such service whose re-
spective bids are not considered too high by the
Postmaster General shall refuse to enter INTO con-
tract and give bond herein required for the faith
full performance of his contract, the postmaster
General shall Immediately advertise tor proposals to
perform the service on said route Whenever an ac-
cepted bidder shall fail to enter INTO eontract OF
perform the service on said route according to ms
contract, when new route shall be established
or new service required, or when from any other
there shall not be contractor legally bound
required to perform such service, the POSTMASTER
General may make temporary contract Tor carry
ing the mail on such route. without advertisement
for such period may be necessary not in any case
exceeding six months, until the service shall have
commenced under contract made according TO law
Provided howeuer, That the Postmaster General
shall not employ temporary service on any route al
higher price than that paid to the contractor VINO
shall have performed the service during the last pre-
cedng regular contract term. And in all cases OF
regular contracts hereafter made, the contract may
in the discretion Of the Postmaster General pc con
tinued in force beyond its express terms for pero
not exceeding months, until new contract Win
the same, or other contractors shall be made by the
Postmaster General"
1SEC 253 That hereafter all bidders upon every
mail route for the transportation of the mails upon
the same, where the annual compensation for the
five thousand dollars, shall accompany their bios
with certified check draft, payable to the ordei
of the Postmaster-General, upon some solvent ma
tional bank which check or draft shall not be less
than five per centum on the amount OF the annual
pay said route at the time such bid is made; ana
in case of modified service not less than hVe
per ceutum of the amount of the bond of the bid
der required to accompany his bid, ii the amount OF
said bond exceeds five thousand dollars. In case any
bidder, on being awarded any such contract, shall
fail to execute the same, with good and sufhcen.
sureties, according to the terms on which such bid
made and accepted, and enter upon the perform
ance of the service to the satisfaction OF the POST
masterGeneral, such bidder shall, i'll addton 10 MS
iabi ity on his bond accompanying his bio, forfeit
the amount so deposited to the United States, and
The same shall forthwith be paid into the Treasury
tor the of the Post-Ofice Department; put
if such contracts shall be duly executed and
check SO deposited, and the checks the drafts
deposited by all other bidders on the same route,
shall be returned TO the respective bidders making
such deposits. No proposals for the trans
portation of the mails where the amount OF the
bond required to accompany the same shall exceed
five thousand dollars shall be considered, unless ac-
compapied with the check or dr aft herein required
together with the bond required by preceding sec
ton: Prouided, That nothing in this act shall be
construed intended to affect any penalties or Tor
FIXTURES which have heretofore accrued under the
provisions of the sections hereby amended"
SEC IL. That hereafter the postage on public DOC
uments mailed by any member of Congre IS, the
President, head of any Executive Department
shall be ten cents for each bound volume, and on
unbound documents the same rate as that on news
papers mailed from a known office OF publication
to regular subscribers and the words "Public Doc
ument' written printed thereon, CT on the wrap
per thereof and certified by the signature of any
member of Congress, or by thai of the President OF
head of any Executive Department shall be deemed
sufficient certificate that the same is public doc
ument; and the term 'spublic document is hereby
defined to be all publications printed by order. o.
Congress, or either House thereof: ProUided, That
he on a copy ot me aa
sient matter shall be one cent.
Approved, June %, 1874.