National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-09

By section sixteen Of the act of June s, 1872,
every lerson employed in the postal service is
subject TO ali Il pains, penalties and fUrfeitures
for violation of the laws relating to such SERVICE
whether lie has taken the above oath or aIfrma-
ton or not.
SECTIONS OF THE AIT OF CONGRESS
ITO REVISE, CONSOLIDATE AND
TO THE P0ST 0FFICE DEPARTMENS'FT9,I
APP RUVED JUNE s. 1872.
The POSTMASTER GENERA requests that bid
ders, Cuarantors, suTcttcs and all persons con
cerned. OF INTENDING to be concerned in mail con-
tracts, will carefully read and critically examine
the abstract OF laws here presented, and also the
forms and instructions at the end of this adVer-
tisement, in order that bids may be made and
Liabilities assumed uBderstHndingly, and that all
misapprehensions or cause of complaint hereafter
may be avoided.
PosTNAsTERs are required to make themselves
familiar with these laws and instructions, that
they may be able TO inform and direct others.
PoSTMAsTERs, CLERKS, ETC. CANNOT BE CON-
TRACTORS.
Sec. IS. That no postmaster, assistant post
master, or clerk employed in any post office, shall
be contractor or concerned in contract for car
rying the mail
Persons in the employ of the Post Once De-
partment (includtnG poStmasters) cannot become
interested in a mail contract, nor act as agent Of
contractors or bidders.
Sec L. That no person EMPLOYED in the Post
Once Department shall become interested in any
contract Tor carrying the mail, act as agent,
or person Offering TO become a contractor in any
business before the Department; and any person
SO OHehulng sna!l De lm medlasely dismissed from
ott1ce, and shall be liable TO pay so mucn money
as would have been realized from said contract,
to be recovered in an action Of debt for the Of
the Post Once Department.
By regulation Of the Department, no carrier
should be employed who is under sixteen wears of
age: and no bidder will he accepted who is under
twenty one years Of age, or who is a married
woman.
CONVEYANCE OF LETTERS OUT OF THE MAIL
PRIVATE EXPRESSES, ETC.
Sec. %. That any person concerned in carrying
the mail who shall collect, receive, or carry any
letter or packet, or cause or procure the same to
be done, contrary to law, shall, on conviction
thereof for every such offence. forfeit and pay not
exceeding fifly dollars
Sec. Us. That no person shall establish any
private express Tor the conveyance of letters or
packets, or in any manner cause or provide for
the conveyance Of the same by regular trips or at
stated periods, over any post route which is or
town place to any other city. town OF place be-
tween " hich the mail is regularly carried; and
every person so Offending, or aiding or assisting
therein, shall, for each offence forfeit and pay
hundred and ff,y dollars.
Sec. 20. That the owner or every stago-coach,
railway car, steamboat or other vehicle or vessel,
which shall, with the knowledge Of any owner, in
whole or in part, or with the knowledge con-
nivance OF the driver, Conductor master or other
person having charge OF the same, convey any
person acting or employed as a private express
for the conveyance OF letters packets and actu-
ally in possession OF the same Tor the purpose Of
conveying them contrary to the spirit true in
tent, and meaning Of tAis law shall, for every
such offence, forfeit and pay one hundred and fifty
dollars.
Sec. go That no person shall transmit by pri-
vate express OF other unlawful means, or deliver
TO any agent Of such unlawful express, or deposit
or cause 70 be LepUsiIrd at any appointed place
for the purpose Of being transmitted, any letter
or packet, and for every such offence the party
so offending shall forfeit and pay nifty dollars.
Sec. 23l. That 10 stage zach, raiITa year
steamboat. or other vehicle or vessel which regu-
npFiDng
route. or from ary city, town or place to any
other city, town or place between which the mail
in the mail, any letters or packets except such
as relate to some part OF the cargo of such steam
boat or other vessel, CT 10 article carried at
the same time by the same s:age-cOach, railway
car other vehicle, eXcepr as provided in sectisn
two hundred and thirty -Hine: and for every such
offence the owner OF tie sage-COach, railway car,
Steamboat or other vehicle vessel shall forfeit
and pay one hundred dollars and the driver,
conduct or, master or other person having charge
thereof, and not at the lime owner of the whole
or any part Thereof. shall in like manner forfeit
and pay for every such Chenc, fifty dollars.
(SecllOn 209 permits conveyance Of letters in
stamped envelopes otherwise than by mail.)
THE MANNER IN WHICH PROPOSALS SHALL BE
MADE, AND THE LIABILITY OF POSTMASTE3s.
Sec. 245. That every proposal for carrying the
mail shall be acc Jmnanted by the bond OF the bid
der, with sureties approved by postmaster, and
in cases where the amount Of the bond exceeds
five thousand dollars, by postmaster of the
first, second or third class. in a TO be desig-
tisement Of each route; to which bond con-
ditiOn shall be annexed, that if the said bidder
shall, within such time after his bid is accepted
as the Postmaster General shall prescribe, enter
into contract with the United States
of America, with good and suff-
Postmaster General. to perform the service pro-
pOsed in his said bid. and, further, that he shall
6erfor 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
of failure of any bidder 10 enter into such contract
to perform the service, or, having executed con-
tract in case Of failure 20 perform the service ae
cOrdiDg TO his contract he and his sureties shall
be liable for the amount OF said bond as liqu-
dated damages, to be recovered in an action Of
debt on the said bond. No proposal shall be con-
sidered unless 1t shall be accompanied by such
bond, and there shall have been affixed to said
proposal the oath Of the bidder, taken before an
oficer qualified to administer oaths, that he has
the ability pecuniarily, to fulfill his obligations
end that the bid is made in good faith, and with
ire 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-
vided for in the aforesaid section is approved,
there shall be indJrsed thereon the oaths OF the
sureties therein, taken before an officer quallhed
TO administer oaths, that they are owners oil
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,
mortgages and executions against them, after
allowing all exemptions Of every character what
ever.
his signature 10 the approval OF any bond OF
bidder, to the certificate Of suhciency Of sure
tract is signed by the bidder or contractor and
his suTeties, shall knowingly, or without the
exercise of due diligence, approve any bond oil q
bidder, with insufficient suTeties, or shall know
fngly make any false or fraudulent certificate,
shall be forthwith dismissed from office, and be
thereafter disqualified from holding the Ottice Of
= postmaster, and shall also be deemed guilty OF
misdemeauoT, and, on conviction thereof, be pun
ished by fne not exceeding five thousand dol
lars, OF by imprisonment; not exceeding one year,
or both.
SERVICE TO BE: AWARDED TO THE LOWEST BIDDER
BIDS OF FAILING CONTRACTORS MAY NOT De
CONSIDERED.
mails shall be in the name Of the United states,
and shsl be awarded 10 the lowest bidder tender
ing sufficient guarantees for faithful perform
ance, without other TeieTEce to the mode Of trans
portatiOn than may be necessary to provide for
the due celebrity, certSinty and security thereof;
but the Postmaster General shall not be bound
TO consider the bid OF any person who has Willuly
or Gegligcntly failed 70 perform former con-
tract.
COMBINATIONS TO PREVENT BIDDING PRoHIB-
IT'D.
Sec $50. That no contract for carrying the mail
shall be made with any person who has entered,
or proposed to enter. into any com bnatiOn to pre-
or who hiss made any agreement or given or per-
formed, promised to give or perform, any con-
federation whatever TO induce any other person
not to bid for any such e0ntracti and IL any per-
son so offending Is contractor for carrying the
mail, his contract may re aunulled; and for the
first offence the person so offending shall be dis
0ualifed to contract for carrying the mail for hye
Years and for the second offence shall be forever
disqualified
FAILING BIDDERS AND CONTRACTORS coz
TRACTS MAY BE EXTENDED, AND TEMPORARY
- CONTRACTS MADE