The Portland daily press., 1875-02-03

be liable to pay so much money as would have been
realized from said contract to be recovered IN an ae-
tion of debt for the use of the Post Office Depart
ment
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
Coureuance of letters out of the mail. Pirate Er-
presses, dc.
SEC. 227. That any person concerned in carrying
the mail who shall collect receive or carly any let
ter packet procure the same to be done
contrary to law, STALL conviction thereof, for ev-
cry such oense, forfeit and pay not exceeding hity
dollars. -,
waite express for the conveyance of letters or packets
in any cause or provide for the c0hVeyace
of the same by regular trips OF al ba estahshed
by law, from any city town. or pace 10 any 4.rei
city, town, place between which tne 1haH - re-
guiarly carried and every person SO oftenng, or
siding or assisting therein shall. for each ofense,
forfeit and paw one hundred and fifty dollars ,,
SEC. 229. That the owner OF every staGecoa ae
which shall, with the knowledge OF any owner, IN
whole or in part, or with the knowledge or conn.,
vance of the driver conductor MASTER or other per-
son having charged of the same, convey any person
acting or employed private express for The con-
veyance of letters packets and actually IN posses
sion of the for the purpose of conveying them
contrary to the spirit, true intent and meaning OF
this law shall, for every such oense, forfeit and
pay one hundred and fifty dollars
SEC. $780, That no person shall transmit by private
express or other unlawful means. or deliver to any
agent of such unlawful express or deposit or cause
to be deposited at any appointed place. ior t,t Pand
for every such ofense the party so oHendlng snail
forfeit and pay fifty dollars ...s
SEC 23i That no stage-coach, railway car, steam
boat or other vehicle vessel which regularly per-
forms trips at stated periods on any post-route or
from any city, town or place to any otnea Guy
shall carry otherwise than in the mail, any letters or
packets except such as relate to some part OF the
cargo of such steamboat other vessel, or to me
article carried at the same time by the same stage
COACH railway-car, other vehicle, except as pro-
vided in section two hundred and thirty nine; and
for every such oense the owner OF the stage-coach
railWay-car steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel
shall forfeit and pay one hundred dollars ana the
driver, conductor, master, or other person naVhg
charge thereof, and not at the time owner OF the
whole or any part thereof shall in like manner for
felt and pay for every such offense fifty dollars
Section 2S9 permits tSsa Sx m "a
The manner in achich proposals shall be made and
the LIABILITY OF P0sTMAsTERs.
SEC. 245. That every proposal for carrying the
mail shall be accompanied by the bond OF the bidder,
with sureties approved by a postmaster and IN
cases where the amount OF the Dcna e Exec nVe
thousand dollars by postmaster of the first second
or third class in to be designated by the Post
master General in the advertisement or each route;
to which bond a condition shall be annexed, that if
tbe 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 Amer
by the Postmaster General, to perform the service
proposed in his said bid, and further that he shall
perform the said service according 70 Dis conuact,
then the said obligation to be void otherwise to be in
full force and obligation in law and in case OF fall
ure of ny bidder to enter into such contract to per-
form the Service or having executed contract, in
of failure to perform the service according to bis
contract he and his sureses shall be laDle 1or the
amount of said bond iqudated damages, to be re-
covered in an action of debt on the said bond. No
nroposal shall be considered unless it shall be
companed by such bond, and there shall have been
affixed to said proposal the oath OF the bidder taken
before an,ofiicer qualified to administer oaths, that
he has the ability, pecuniarily, to fulfill his oblga-
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 GAG. That before the bond Of bidder provjd.
ed for in the aforesaid section is there shall
he Endorsed thereon the oaths of the suretes therein
taken before an officer qualified to administer oaths,
that they of real estate worth, in the a-
gregate, sum double the amount OF the SAID pond,
over and above all debts due and owing by them, and
all judgments, mortgages, and executions against
them, after allowing all exen ptions ofevery charac-
SEC. 247 That any postmaster who shall affix his
signature to the approval of any bond of bidder, or
to the certificate of suciency of surees in any con-
tract before the said bond contract is signed by the
bidder OF contractor and his sureties shall know
ingly or without the exercise of due diligence, APP
prove any bond OF bidder with nsunclent suretles'
or shall knowingly make any false or fraudulent GER
tificate shall be forthwith dismissed from office and
be thereafter disqualified from holding the office OF
postmaster and shall also be deemed guilty OF mis-
demeanor and, on conviction thereof, be punished
nv fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or by
Imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.
Serr;ce TO be awarded to the loscest bidder Bids of
failing contractors may not be considered.
SEC. 249 That all contracts for carrying the mail
shall be in the name OF the United STATES ana snai
he awarded to the lowest bidder rendering sufficient
guarantees for faithful performance, without otner
reference the mode of Transportation than may be
necessary to provide for the due ceeriy, certainty
and security thereof; but the Postmaster General
shall not be bound consider the bid Of any person
who has wilfully or neggently failed to perform
former contract.
Combinations to prevent bidding prohibited.
SEC. 250. That no contract for carrying the mail
shall be made with any person who mas entered, OF
proposed to enter, into any combination to prevent
the making of any bid for carrying lhe NAL, OF VINO
has made any agreement, or given or performed. OF
promised to give perform any consideration what
ever TO induce any other person not to bid for any
such contract; and if any person so offending is
contractor for carrying the mall ms contract may De
annulled; and for the first Oense the person so Of
Tending shall be disqualified to contract 1or carrying
the mail for five years, and for the second offense
shall be forever disqualified.
Fuili7,1 bidders and contractors. Contracts may De
ertended and temporary contracts maze.
SEC, 251 THAT after any regular bidder whose bid
has been accented shall fail to enter into contract for
fine TRANSPORTATION of the mails according to his pro-
posal Or having entered into contract snail 1all 70
commence the performance OF the service stpuIated
in his or their contract therein provided the Post
master General shall proceed to contract with tne
next lowest bidder for the same service, who will en-
ter into contract for the performance thereof qn,
lass the Postmaster General shall consider such bid
foo high in which case he shall re-advertise such
service And if any bidder whose bid has been ac-
Copied and who has entered INTO eontpac1 70 per- II
pursuance of his contract has EN- ered upon the per-
Torrance of the service to the satisfaction OF the
Postmaster General, shall subsequently tail or re-
se to perform the service according to his contract
the Postmaster General shall proceed TO contract
with the next lowest bidder 1or such service unaer
(unleSS the Postmaster
General shall consider such bid too mgh) VINO Will
enter into contract and give bond with suretes to
he approved by the Postmaster General for the faith
f,1l performance thereof, in the same penalty and
with the same terms and conditions thereto annexed
as were stated and contained in the BOND Whlcn ac
c0mpanied 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
ful performance of his contract, the postmaster
General shall Immediately advertise for proposals to
perform the service on said route. whenever an &C
cepted bidder shall fail to enter into contract, or
Contractor on any mail route shall fail or refuse TO
perform the service said route according to his
contract, or when new route shall De estaDnsned,
or new service required, when from any other
cause there shall not be contractor legally bound
or required to perform such SERVICE the postmaster
General may make temporary contract for carry
ing the mail on such route. without advertisement,
for such period may be necessary not in any case
exceeding six MONTHS until tne service sna nave
Provided, however, That the Postmaster General
shall not employ temporary service on any route at
bigher price than that paid to the contractor who
shall have performed the service during the last pre-
ceding regular contract term. And in all cases OF
REGULAR contracts hereafter made, the contract may,
in the discretion of the Postmaster General be con-
timed in force beyond its express terms for period
not exceeding months, until new contract with
the same or other contractors, shall be made by the
Postmaster General.
bidders NOT released until contract is entered into
and service begun.
SEC 252 That no bidder for carrying the mails
shall be released from his obligation under his bid
or pr0posal notwithstanding an award made to
lower bidder until contract for the designated ser
vice shall have been duly executed by such lower
bidder and his suretes, and accepted, and the ser
vice entered upon by the contractor to the sasfac
tion of the Postmaster Ger eral.
CERTIFIED CHECKS OR DRAFTS TO ACCOMPANY ALL
BIDS EXCEEDING S. 600.
SEC 253. That hereafter all bidders upon every
mail route for the transportation of the mails upon
fine same where the annual compensation for the
service on such route at the time exceeds the sum OF
five thousand dUllars, shall accompany their bids
with certified check or draft payable to the order
of the Postmaster General upon some solvent ma
tional hank which check draft shall not be less
than five per centum ON the amount of the annual
nav on said route the time such bid is made ana
In case of new or modified service, not less than hVe
ner centum of the amount of the bond OF the bid
der required to accompany his bid If the amount OF
said bond exceeds five thousand dollars. In case any
bidder on being awarded any such contract, snail
fail TO execute the same, with good and sufficient
sureties according to the terms on which such BID