National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-02
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
MASTERS:

CONTRASTING ALSO CONDITIONS TO BE INcoRPo-
RATED IN THE CONTRACTS TO THE EXTENT THE
DEPARTMENT MAY DEEM PROPER.
l. Seven minutes are allowed to each intermedI-
sorting the mails.
2 On routes where the mode of conveyance ad-
mits Of it, the special agents Of the Post Once De-
partment, also post office blanks, mail bags,
locks and keys, are TO be conveyed without extra
5. "Way bills" or receipts, prepared by postmss
tiers or other agents Of the Department, will &C
destination Of the several bags, to be examined
by the poslmasters to insure regularity in the de-
livery Of bags and pouches
l. No pay will be made for trips not performed;
and for each Of such omissions, II the failure.be
occasioned by the fault OF the contractor or car
Tier, three times the pay Of the trip will be de-
Quoted. For arrivals so far behind time as TO
break connection with depending mails, and not
sufficiently excused, one-iourth Of the compensa-
peated deiinquencies Of the kind hereinIspecihed,
enlarged penalties, proportiOned to the nature
thereof and the Importance Of the mall, may be
made.
S. For leaving behind or throwing of the mails,
or any portion Of them, for the admission Of pas
sengeIs, or Tor being concerned In setting up or
Quoted.
g. Fines will be imposed unless the delinquency
be promptly and satisfactorily explained By GER
tifcates Of postmasters or the alidaVits Of other
credible persons for failing TO arrive in contract
time for neglecting to take the mall from, or de-
liver Il into, post Office: for suffering It to be
wet, injured, destroyed, robbed or lost; and for
refusing, after demand, to convey the mall as fire.
Quently the contractor runs, or is concerned in
| running, a coach, car, or steamboat on route.
Z. The Postmaster General may snnul the con-
contract for violating the post ONCE laws or dis
Obeying the instructions Of the Department; for
| refusing to discharge carrier when required by
the Department to do so for running an express
as aforesaid or for transporting persons or pack
ages conveying mailable matter out OF the mail.
s. The Postmaster General may order an in.
nj arvfaa ms " aII0UfnO fharafOr
a pro rata increase on the contract pay. He may
change schedules Of departures and arrivals in
all cases. and particularly to make them conform
to connections with railroads, without increase Of
pay, provided the running time be not abridged.
The Postmaster General may also discontinue or
cqrta the service in whole or in part, in order 70
place on the route superior service, or whenever
the public interests in his shall require
such diseontinuance or curtailment for any other
cause he allowing, as full indemnity to eou-
tractor, one months extra pay on the amount Of
service dispensed with, and q pro rata compensa-
ton for the amount of service retained and con-
tinued.
O. Payments will be made by collections from,
or drafts on, postmasters or otherwise, after the
expiration Of each Quarter-say in November,
February, May and August, provided that re-
Quired evidence Of service has been received.
10. The distances given are believed to be SUBJ
stantially correct but no increased pay Will be
allowed should they be greater than advertised,
II the points to be supplied are correctly stated.
Bidders must inform hemseIreS on Ibis point,
and also in reference TO the weight of the mail.
the condition Of hills roads, streams, &c, and all
t9llbridges, turnpikes, plank roads, ferries or
distractions Of any kind by which expense may
be incurred. No claim for additional pay, based
on such ground, can be considered; nor for al
gree Of Service nor for BRIDGES destroyed ferries
discontinued, or other distractions causing or In
ereasing distance or expense occurring during
the contract term. Ofhces established after this
advertisement is issued, and also during the con-
tract term, are to be visited without extra pay
If the distance be not increased. n
IL. Bidders are cautioned to mall their pr0po-
sails in time to reach the Department by the day
and hour named in the advertisement, as bids re-
ceiyed alter that time UiH not be considered in
competition with bids Of reasonable amount re-
ceiyed in time. Neither can bids be considered
which are without the bond, oath and certincate
required by section 245, act OF June %, 1874.
T. Bidders should hrst propose for service
strictly according to the advertisement, and then.
,SgST SS be s fSE or s ana
Tertised service, the other propositions may be
I3. There should be but one route bid for in a
proposal. Consolidated or combination bids
("proposing one sum for two or more routeshl
cannot be considered.
u. The route, the service, the yearly pay, the
name and residence OF the bidder, THAT is, his
usual post Office address, and the name Of each
member Of q hrm where company offers, should
Is Bidders are requested to use, as far as prac-
lcable, the printed proposals furnished BY the
Department, t0write out in full the sum Of their
bids, and to retain copies of them.
Altered bids should not be submitted. No
withdrawal of bid will be allowed unless the
withdrawal is received twenty.four hoursprevious
to the time fixed for opening the proposals.
10. In case Of failure Of the accepted bidder to
execute a contract, or of the abandonment Of ser
vice during the contract term, the service will be
readveTtised and relet at the expense Of the fail
ing bidder or contractor.
II. The Postmaster General reserves the right
to reject any bid which may be deemed extraV-
agant; and also to disregard the bids Of failing
contractors and bidders. TACT OF June s, 1872,
section 24gl
IS. The bid should be sealed, superscrlbed
" Mail Proposals, State OF -" addressed
Second Assistant Postmaster General, Contract
ONCE"
10. Every proposal must be accompanied by
bond with suTeties approved BY postmaster, and
In cases where the amount of the bond excesds
hTe thousand dollars (t5.OO0) by p0stm lster OF
the first, second or third class. Bids for
service, the pay for which at the time OF
advertisement exceeds hve thousand dol
lars. (e5,e0o.) must be accompanied by
certified check, or dram, payable to the order of
the Postmaster Central. on some solvent na-
tional bank, OF not less than I'VE per centum on
the amount Of the annual pay on such route, and
IN case Of new or modified service. not less than
i've per centum Of the amount 1.-The bond accom-
paDying the bid, II the amour. OF said bend ex-
eeeds (tb, oo0) i've thousand dollars.
: The amOunt OF bond required with bids. and
the present pay when II exceeds tt5 oool i've thou