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

MALL ROU1ES.
bid has been accepted shan tail to enter into con-
tract for the transportation Of hemals according
to hts proposal, or, having entered into contract,
| shall fail to commence the performance OF the
service stipulated in his or their contract as
! therein provided, the Postmaster General shall
proceed to contract with the next lowest DID
contract for the performance thereof, unless the
! Postmaster General shall consider such bid too
high, in which case he shall readEerttse such
/ service. And If any bidder whose bid has been
/ accepted, Bnd who has entered into q 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
| cordinK TO his contract, the Postmaster General
! shall proceed to contract with the next lowest
1 bidder for such service, under the advertisement
| thereof, (unless the Postmaster General shall
consider such bid too high,l who will enter into
contract and give bond, with sureties, to be ap-
J proved by the Postmaster General, for the faith
Jul performance thereof, in the same penalty and
with the same terms and conditions thereto an
| nexed as were stated and contained in the bond
! 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 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 a contractor on any mail route
shall fail or refuse TO perform the service on said
| route according to his contract, or Wnen new
or 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 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
meneed under a contract made according to law:
PToUided, 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
last preceding regular contract term AND In all
Of I1or pnnfra hnr m
contract may, in the discretion Of the Postmaster
General be continued in force beyond its express
terms Tor period not exceeding six months, IN
til a new contract with the same. or other con-
tractors, shall be made by the Postmaster Gen
eral.
BIDDERS NOT RELEASED UNTIL A CONTRACT IS
ENTERED INTO AND SERVICE BEGUN.
Sec. 252 That no bidder Tor carrying the mails
shall be released from his obligation under his
bid OF proposal, notwithstanding an award made
to a lower bidder, until . contract for the desg-
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 oil the Postmaster General
CERTIFIED CHECKS or DRAFTS TO ACCOMPANY
ALL BIDS EXCEEDING $1,000.
Sec. 253. That hereafter all bidders upon every
mail route Tor the transportation OF the mails
upon the same, where the annual compensation
tor the service on such route at the time excseds
the sun of iTe thousand dollars, shall accom-
plny their bids with a ceTtihed check or draft,
payable to the order oil the Postmaster General,
o
draft shall not be less than hye per centum on
the amount Ct the annual pay on said route at
the time such bid is made; and in case OF new or
modified service, not less than 1--WE per cen;um OF
the amount Of the bond Of the bidder required to
accompany his bid, il the amount o! 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 sulhcient
sureties, according TO the terms on which such |
bid was made and accepted, and enter upon the |
performance Of the service 10 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, ana the same shall forthwith be |
paid into the Treasury for the use Of the Post |
Once 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 shall exceed i've thousand dollars
shall be considered, unless accompanied with the
check or draft herein required, together with the
bond required by a preceding section: Provided,
That nothing in this act shall be construed or
which have heretofore accrued under the pro-
visions Of the sections hereby amended.
FAILING CONTRACTORS GUILTY OF A M1sDE-
MEANoR.
Sec 24. That any person or persons bidding
for the transportation of the mails upon any route
which may be advertised to be let and receiving
award of the contract for such service, who
shall wrOngfulIy refuse fail TO enter into con-
tract with the Postmaster General In Que form,
and perform the service described in his or their
bid or proposal, shall be deemed guilty of o mis-
CemeanOr, and, on conviction thereof be pun
ished by fRe not exceeding hve thousand dol
lars, and by imprisonment for term not exceed
ing twelve months
NO PAY TO BE MADE UNTIL CONTRACTS ARE Ex-
ECUTED.
Sec. 259. That no person whose bid for carrying
the mail is accepted shall receive any pay until
be has executed his contract according 10 law
and the regulations OF the department.
CONVERSATION FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICE RE-
sTRICTED AND REGULATED.
Sec. 26O. That compensation for additional
service in carrying the mail shall not be in ex-
cess Of the exact proportion which the original
compensation bears to the original service; and
when any such additional service ordered, the
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 I
made Tor any increase OF expedition in carrying
the mail unless thereby the employment OF adj
ana in such case the additional compensation
shall bear no greater proportion to the additional
stock and carriers necessarily employed than the
compensation in the original contract bears 10
the stock and carriers necessarily employed in
its execution.
DEDUCTIONS MAY BE MADE, AND PINES I'M
POSED, FOR DELIHQUENCIEs.
Sec c65 That the Postmaster General may
failures TO perform service according to contract,
and impose fines upon them for other deinquen-
cies. He may deduct the price Of the trip in all
cases where the trip is not performed; and not
exceeding three times the prizes IL the failure be
OccasiUned by the laUlt Of the contractor or car
rier.
CONTRACTS CANNOT BE ASSIGNED NOR TRANS
FEERED.
Sec. 81. That no contractor for transporting
tie mail within or between the United States and
my GTR a
contract, and ali such assignments or transfers
shall be null and void.
SCHEDULES TO BE FURNISHED AND POSTED UP IN
POsr OFFICEs-REGIsTERsT TO BE RETURNEDANB
REPORTS MADE.
Sec 20. That the Postmaster General shall
furnish to the pOstmasters at the termination Of
each route 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.
By act of Congress approved April q, $685. no
member Of Congress can be contractor, or be
concerned, directly or indirectly, in any contract
with the Government; and by the same act it is
maue high misdemeanOr for any otticer Of the
United States to enter, In its behalf into con-
tract with a membr Of Congress.
LBut If a member withdraw from a contract it
may be concluded with the other partners.-Opia.
one Who is elected a memb5r OF Congress during
its continuance is not affected by such election
lid, 5, 69I.i
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
vestigRtion be made in regard to the route, dis
tance, service, weight of mails, cost OF stock,
feed, and all expenses existing and likely 20 /
occur during the contract term, and with due |
consideration Of the consequences imposed by |
law on delinquents.
CONTRACTS TO BE EXECUTED AND FILED ~ THE L
DEPARTMENT BY THE FIRST DAY OF JUNE.
Under the provisions Of section 2i5 OF the act |
approved June %, 1874, the Postmaster General |
has prescribed the LIST day Of June, 1875, on or |
before which day the contracts Of accepted bid |
ders must be received at the Department in |