National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-02

sion or control. So help me God.
By section sixteen OF the act of June s, 1872,
every person employed in the postal service is
subject to all tie pans penalties and fOrfeitures
Tor violation Of the laws relating 10 such SERVICE
whether he has taken the above oath or al1rna.
ton or lot.
SECTIONS OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS
TO REVISE, CONSOLIDATE AND
AMEND THE STATUTES RELATING
APPROVED JUNE s, 1872
The POSTMASTER GENERAL requests that bid
ders RuarantCrs, 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 understandinRly, and that all
misappTehensions or cause of complaint hereafter
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
Persons in the employ of the Post Once De-
partment (includng postmasters) cannot become
Interested IN mail contract, nor act as agent Of
contractors or bidders.
Sec. L That no person employed in the Post
contract Tor 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
once, a1d shsII pc liable 70 pay SO much money
as would have been realized from said contract,
to be recovered in an action Of debt, fer 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
OF ara Tuh fg mas a
woman.
CONVEYANCE OF LETTERS OUT OF THE NAIL
PRIVATE EXPRESSES, ETC.
Sec. 227. 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 10 law, shall, on conviction
thereof for every such offence. forfeit and pay not
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 Ofthe same by regular trips or at
stated periods over any post route which Is or
town or place TO any other city, town place be-
tween which the mail is regularly carried; and
every person so offending, or aiding or assisting
therein, shall for each offence forfeit and pay one
Sec. 20. That the owner OF every stage-coach,
railway car, steamboat or other vehicle vessel,
which shall, with the knowledge Of any owner, in
whole or in part, or with the knowledge or con-
nivanee Of the driver, conductor, master or other
person having charge Of the same, convey any
person acting or employed as q 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, anc 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
or packet, and for every such offence the party
so offending shall forfeit and pay nifty dollars.
81 M y
Steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel which regu-
larry performs trips At stated periods any post
other city, town or place between which the mai
is regularly carried, shall carry, otherwise than
in the mail, any letters or packets, except such
as 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
car or other vehicle except as provided in sectsn
two hundred and Ihirty-nine: and for every such
offence the CEner Of the stsge-coach, railWay-car,
steamboat or other vehicle or vessel shall forfeit
and pay enc 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.
(SecIiUn $50 permits conveyance Of letters in
Stamped envelopes otherwise than by mail)
THE MANEER IN WHICH PROPOSALS SHALL BE
MADE. AND TIE LIABILITY OF POsTMAsTERs.
Sec. 2i5 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
i've thousand dollars; by a postmaster Of the
nailed by the Postmaster General in the adver-
tisement Of each route; to which bond con-
dition shall be annexed, that II 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
-cient sureties, to be approved by the
Postmaster General, to perform the service pro-
posed in his said bid, and further, that he shall
perform the said service according 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 70 enter into such contract
to perform the service, or, having executed con-
tract, in Of failure to perform the service
cording to his contract he and his sUreties shall
be liable for the amount Of said bond as Iioul-
dated damages, to be recovered in an action Of
debt on the said bond. No proposal shall be con-
sidered unless shall be accompanied by such
bond, and there shalI have been AFT xed 70 said
proposal the oath Of the bidder, taken before an
ofhcer qualified to administer Oaths, that he has
the ability pecuniarily, 10 fulfill his obligations,
and that the bid is made in good faith, ami with
the intention to- enter into contract and perform
the service in case his bid is accepted.
Sec 2i6. That before the bond OF q bidder pro-
vided for in the aforesaid section is approved,
there shall be indJrsed thereon the oaths Of TIE
suret les therein, taken before an officer qualified
to administer Caths, that they are owners OF
real estatewo in the aggregate, 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.
Sec. ~. That any postmaster who shall afhx
bis signature to the approval Of any bond Of
bidder, or 20 the certificate Of suf1eieney Of sure
ties in any contract before the said bond or con-
tract is signed by the bidder or contractor and
his suTetiEs, or shall knowingly, or without the
exercise Of due diligence, approve any bond Of 6
bidder, with insufficient sureties, or shall ka0G-
ingIy make any false or fraudulent certificate,
shall be forthwith dismissed IRON office, and be
thereafter disqualified from holding the office of
postmaster, and shall also be deemed guilty Of a
misdemeauOT, and, on conviction thereof, be pun
ished by q fine not exceeding five thousand dol
lars, or 10y imprisonment rot exceeding one year,
or both.
SERVICE TO BE AWARDED TO THE LOWEST BIDDER
bids or FAILING CONTRACTORS NAY NOT 5E
CONSIDERED.
Sec. 2i9 That all contracts for carrying the
mails shall be in the name Of the United States,
and shall be awarded TO the lowest bidder tender
ing sufficient guarantees for faithful perform
ance without other refernce to the mode Of trans
poTtation than may be necessary to provide for
the due celebrity, certainty and security thereof;
but the Postmaster General shall not be bound
to consider the bid Of any person who has Willfully
or negligently failed 10 perform former con-
tract.
coMBIEATIoSs TO PREVENT BIDDING PRoHIB-
TIED.
Sec. 20. That no contract for carrying the mail
shall lie made with any person who has entered,
or proposed to enter into any com bnatiOn to pre-
vent the making Of any bid for carrying the mail,
who las made any agreement, or given or per-
siderstion whatever TO iuduee any other person
not to bid for any such contract; and if any per-
son offending Is a contractor for carrying the
mail, his contract may DC amulet; and Tor the
first offence the person so offending shall be dis
qualified TO etniract for carrying the mail for FIVE
years, and for the second offence shall be forever
disqualified.
FAILING BIDDERS AND CONTRACTORS con-
TRAcIs- NAY BE ExTKNDED, AND TEMPORARY
coHTRAoTs MADE