National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-30

j .,
every person employed in the postal service is
subject to ali tie pans penalties and fOrfeiturss
Tor violation Of the laws relating to such SERVICE
whether he has taken the above oath or afirma-
ton or not.
SECTIONS OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS
ITO REVISE, CONSOLIDATE AND
TO THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
APPROVED JUNE S, 1872.
The POSTMASTER GENERAL requests that bid
ders, guarantors, sureties and all persons con-
cerned, or 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 understandingly, and that all
Interpretations or cause of complaint hereafter
may be avoided.
PosTMAsTRRs are required to make themselves
familiar with these laws and instructions, that
they may be able to inform and direct others.
FosTNAsTERs, CLEEKs, ETC, CANNOT BE CON-
Sec. -. That no postmaster assistant post
master, or clerk employed in any post office, shall
sying the mail.
Persons in the employ of the Post Office De-
partment Including pOstmasters) cannot become
interested in mail contract, nor act as agent Of
contractors or bidders.
Sec. Il 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
business before the Department; and any person
so offending shall be Immediately dismissed from
Office, and shall be liable to pay so mucn money
as would have been realized from said contract,
to be recovered in action Of debt for the of
the Post Once Department.
By regulation Of the Department, no carrier
should be employed who is under sixteen years of
age; and no bidder will be accepted who is under
twenty-one years Of age, or who is a married
woman.
CONVEYANCE OF LETTERS OUT OF THR NAIL
PRIVATE EXPRESSES, ETC.
Sec III. That any person concerned in carrying
the mail who shall collect, receive, or carry any
be done, contrary to law, shall, on conviction
thereof for every such offence. forfeit and pay not
Sec 22s. That no person shall establish any
pri-1te 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
stated periods; over any post route which is or
town place to any other city, town or place be-
tween hich the mail is regularly carried; and
every person so offending, or aiding assisting
therein, SHALL for each offence forfeit and pay
hundred and fifIy dollars.
Sec. 20. That the owner OF every stage-cOach,
railway car steam boat or other vehicle or vessel
which shall, with the knowledge Of any owner, in
whole or in part, or with the knowledge or con-
niysnce 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 O5 the purpose Of
tent, and meaning Of this 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 or other unlawful means, or deliver
to any agent of such unlawful express or deposit,
or cause 10 be deposited, at any appointed place,
for the purpose Of being transmitted, any letter
packet, and for every such offence the party
so offending shall forfeit and pay nfty dollars.
Sec. 81. That no stage.coach, ratIWay-car,
steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel which regu-
larry performs trips at stated periods any post
route, or from any city, town or place to any
other city, town place between which the mail
is regularly carried, shall carry, otherwise than
In the mail any letters or packets, except such
relate to some part Of the cargo of such steam
boat or other vessel or to some article carried at
the same time by the same stage-coach, railway
two hundred and thirty-nine; and for every such
offence the owner Of the stage-cOach, railway-car,
steamboat other vehicle or vessel shall forfeit
and pay one hundred dollars and the driver,
conductor, 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.
(Section 239 permits conveyance Of letters in
Stamped envelopes otherwise than by mail.)
THE MANNER IN WHICH PROPOSALS SHALL BE
MADE, AND THE LIABILITY OF POsTMAsTERs.
Sec. 245 That every proposal for carrying the
mail shall be accompanied 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 a postmaster Of the
first, second or third class, in sum to be desig-
nailed by the Postmaster General in the adver-
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 a contract with the United States
Gent sureties. to be approved by the
posed 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 con-
tract in case Of failure to perform the service &C.
cOrding to his contract, he and his sureties shall
be liable for the amount Of said bond as liQui-
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 afixed TO said
proposal the oath Of the bidder, taken before an
officer qualified to administer Oaths, that he has
the ability, pecuniarily, to fulh 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. 2i5. That before the bond Of q bidder pro-
ylded for in the aforesaid section is approved,
there shall be indJrsed thereon the oathS Of the
sUreties therein taken before an oficer qualified
70 administer oaths, that they are owners OF
the amount Of the said bond, over and above all
debts due and owing by them, and all Judgments,
mortgages and executions against them, amer
allowing all exemptions Of every character what
Sec 247. That any postmaster who shall afhx
his signature 10 the approval OF any bond Of Q
bidder or TO the certificate OF Buftcency Of sure
ties in any contract before the said bond or con-
tract 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 suretes or shall know.
ingly make any false or fraudulent certificate,
shall be forthwith dismissed from OlIice, and be
thereafter disqualified from holding the office Of
postmaster and shall also be deemed guilty Of O
misdemeanOr, and, on conviction thereof, be pun
ished by tne not exceeding i've thousand dol
lars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year,
or both.
SERVICE TO Be AWARDED TO THE LOWEST BIDDER
bids OF FAILING CONTRACTORS MAY NOT BE
CONSIDERED.
Sec 249 That all contracts for carrying the
mails shall be in the name Of the United states,
and shall be awarded 10 the lowest bidder tender
ing sufficient guarantees for faithful perform
ance without other refernce TO the mode Of trans.
pOrtatiOn than may be necessary TO provide Tor
the due celebrity, certainty and security thereof;
but the Postmaster General shall not be bound
TO consider the bid Of any person who has Wllfully
or neglgently failed 70 perform former con-
tract.
COMBINATIONS TO PREVENT BIDDING PRoHID-
TIED.
Sec. $50. That no contract for carrying the mail
shall be made with any person who has entered,
or proposed to enter into any combination TO pre-
vent the making OF any bid for carrying the mail,
or who has made any agreement, or given or per-
formed. or promised to give or perform, any con-
federation whatever TO induce any other person
moi 10 bid for any such contract; and II any per-
son SO offending Is a contractor for carrying the
mail, his contract may be annulled; and for the
first offence the person so offending shall be diS-
0ualied to contract for carrying the mall for i've
years, and for the second offence shall be forever
disqualified.
TRACTS MAY BE EXTENDED, AND TEMPORARY
CONTRACTS MADE
Sec. 251. That after any regular bidder whose