National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-23
MAIL ROuTES

MAIL ROUTES.
bid has been accepted shall fail to enter into con-
tract for the transportation Of themAils according
70 his proposal, or, having entered into contract
shall fail to commence the performance of the
service stipulated in HIS or their contract As
ped ProEioso tne rSstmsster SenerSI sh had
4 der for the same service, who Will enter into a
Z contract for the performance thereof unless the
Postmaster General shall consider such bid too
high, in which case he shall readvertise such
service. And If any bidder whose bid has been
accepted, and who has entered into 3 contract to
perform the service according to his proposal,
and in pursuance Of his contract has entered
upon the performance Of the service to the salts
faction OF the Postmaster General, shall subse-
quently fail or refuse to perform the service &C.
cordinR to his contract, the Postmaster General
shall proceed to contract with the next lowest
thereof, (unless the Postmaster General shall
consider such bid too high, who will enter into
contract and give bond, with suretIes, to be sp-
proved by the Postmaster General, for the faith
full performance thereof, in the same penalty and
with the same terms and conditions thereto an
which accompanied his bid; but in case each and
every Of the next lowest bidders for such service
whose respective bids are not considered too high
BY the Postmaster General shall refuse to enter
into contract and give bond as herein required for
the faithful performance of his contract, the
Postmaster General shall Immediately advertise
for proposals to perform the service said route
Whenever an accepted bidder shall fail to enter
into contract, or . contractor on any mail route
shall fail or refuse to perform the service on said
route according to his contract, or when new
route shall be established, new service required,
or when from any other cause there shall not be q
contractor legally bound or required to perform
q temporary contract for carrying the mail on
such route, without advertisement, for such Pc
Rod as may be necessary, not in any case exceed
ing six months, until the service shall have com
menced under q contract made according to law:
Provided, however, That the Postmaster General
shall not employ temporary service on any route
at higher price than that paid to the contractor
who shall have performed the service during the
cases of regular contracts hereafter made, the
contract may, in the discretion of the Postmaster
General, be continued in force beyond its express
til a new contract with the same, or other con-
tractors, shall be made by the Postmaster Gen
eral.
BIDDERS NOT PLEASED UNTIL CONTRACT Is
ENTERED VITO AND SERVICE BEGUN.
Sec. 252. That 10 bidder for carrying the mails
shall be released from his obligation under his
bid or proposal, notwithstanding an award made
to a lower bidder, until q contract for the desig
mated service shall have been duly executed by
such lower bidder and his sureties, and accepted,
and the service entered upon by the contractor to
the satisfaction OF the Postmaster General.
CERTIFIED CHECKS OR DRAFTS TO ACCOMPANY
ALL BIDS EXCEEDING $1,000.
Sec 253. That hereafter all bidders upon every
mail route for the transportation of the mails
upon the same, where the annual compensation
for the service on such route at the time exceeds
the SUM of i've thousand dollars, shall accom-
pany their bids with certified check, or draft,
payable to the order OF the Postmaster General,
upon some solvent national bank, which check or
draft shall not be less than five per centum on
the amount of the annual pay on said route at
the time such bid is made; and in case Of new or
modified service, not less than five per centum of
the amount Of the bond of the bidder required to
accompany his bid, il the amount of the 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 sufficient
N1na for Vuhf ah CrNah
bid was made and accepted, and enter upon the
performance of the service to the satisfaction Of
the Postmaster General, such bidder shall, In
addition to his liability on his bond accompanying
his bid, forfeit the amount so deposited to the
United States, and the same shall forthwith be
Ofice Department; but If such contract shall be
duly executed and the service entered upon as
aforesaid, such draft or check so deposited, and
the checks or drafts deposited by all other bid
ders on the same route, shall be returned to the
respective bidders making such deposits. Nopro-
posals for the transportation OF the mails where
the amount of the bond required to accompany
the came shall exceed tive thousand dollars
shall be considered, unless accompanied with the
check or draft herein required, together with the
That nothing in this act shall be construed or
to affect any penalties or forfeitures
which have heretofore accrued under the pro-
visions Of the sections hereby amended.
FAILING CONTRACTORS GUILTY OF MIsDE-
MEAEoR.
sec. Z04. 1naL any PERSON OF peTsOuS
for the transportation of the mails upon any route
which may be advertised to be let, and receiving
an award Of the contract for such service, who
tract with the Postmaster General In due form,
and perform the service described in his or their
bid or proposal, shall be deemed guilty of mis-
demeanor, and, on conviction thereof, be pun
ished by fiRe not exceeding hve thousand dol
lars, and by Imprisonment for a term not exceed
ing twelve months.
NO PAY TO De MADE UNTIL CONTRACTS ARE Ex-
ECUTED.
Sec 259, That no person whose bid for carrying
the mail is accepted shall receive any pay until
he has executed his contract according 10 law
and the regulations Of the Department.
FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICE RE-
sTHCTED AND REGULATED.
Sec. $50. That compensation for additional
service in carrying the mail shall not be in ex-
cess Of the exact proportion which the original
bears TO the original service; and
sum TO be allowed therefor shall be expressed in
the order, and entered upon the books of the
Department: and no compensation shall be paid
for any additional regular service rendered be-
fore the issuing Of such order.
Sec 26l. That no extra allowance shall be
made Tor any increase OF expedition in carrying
the mail unless thereby the employment OF ad-
ditiUnal stock and carriers is made necessary,
and in such case the additional compensation
stock and carriers necessarily employed than the
in the original contract bears to
the slOCh anu CdTIl6Es necessarily GuplO1Gu III
its execution.
DEDUCTIONS MAY BE MADE, AND FINES I'M
POSED, FOR DELIHQUENCIES.
Sec 266. That the Postmaster General may
make deductions from the pay of contractors for
failures 10 perform service according to contract,
and impose hnes upon them for other delinquen-
cies. He may deduct the price Of the trip in all
cases where the trip is not performed; and not
three times the price If the failure be
occasioned by the iault Of the contractor or car
rier.
CONTRACTS CANNOT BE ASSIGNED NOR TRANS
FERRED.
Sec. III. That no contractor for transporting
the mail within or between the United States and
any foreign country shall assign or transfer his
contract, and all such assignments or transfers
shall be null and void.
SCHEDULES TO BE FURNISHED AND POSTED UP IN
PUsr OPFICEs-REGIsTERs TO BE RETURNED AND
REPORTS MADE.
Sec. 90 That the Postmaster General shall
furnish to the pOstmasters at the termination Of
each route a schedule Of the time Of arrival and
departure of the mail at their offices, respect
lively, to be posted in a conspicuous place in the
office; and the Postmaster General shall also
give the postmaster notice Of any change in the
arrival and departure that may be ordered; and
he shall cause to be kept and returned to the De-
partment, at short and regular intervals, regis
tiers showing the exact times Of the arrivals and
departures Of the mail.
member Of Congress can be a contractor, or be
cerned, directly Indirectly, in any contract
with the Government; and by the same act 1t is
mace q high misdemeanOr for any officer Of the
United States to enter, in its behalf, into q
tract with o membr Of Congress.
rBut If a member withdraw from a contract 1t
NAV be concluded with the other partnerS.-OpiR-
iO5I Of Attorney General, IA. \ contract with
one who is elected 4 menb n Of Congress during
Its continuance is not affected by such election
Did, 5, $751;
The Postmaster General has no power, under
the law to release bidders and contractors and
their sureties from their liabilities the allega-
ton of real or supposed mistakes Of any kind in
making proposals, He particularly requests
that, before Bidding, the fullest inquiry and in
yesIigation be made in regard to the route, dis
lance, service, weight Of mails, cost OF stock,
feed, and all expenses existing and likely to
occur during the contract term, and with due
of the consequences imposed by
law on delinquents.
CONTRACTS TO BE EXECUTED AND TILED IN THE
DEPARTMENT BY THE FIRST DAY OF JUNE.
Under the provisions Of section 245 of the act
approved June q, 1874, the Postmaster General
fhaH he LEI Aary NJ Tunn nm