The Portland daily press., 1876-06-27
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
MASTERS.

INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
MASTERS;
Containing also conditions to be incorporated in the
contracts to the ertent the Department may deem
proper.
The POSTMASTER GENERAL warns bidders and
their suretes to acquaint themselves fully with the
laws Of Congress relating to contracts for the carry
ing of the mails, (he important provisions of which
are cited herein and also to familarze themselves
with the instructions and forms herein furnished, be-
fore they shall any liabilities as such bidders
or suretes and to prevent misapprehension or
of complaint thereafter.
PosTMAsTERs are required to make themselves
familiar with the laws, and these instructions that
they may be able to inform and direct others.
l. Seven minutes are allowed to each intermediate
office, when not otherwise specified for asserting the
mails.
of it, the special agents of the Post Office Depart
ment, also post office blanks, mail bags, locks and
keys, are to be conveyed without extra charge.
8. "Way bills' receipts, prepared by postmasters
or other agents of the Department, will accompany
the mails specifying the number and destination of
the several bags to be examined by the postmasters
to insure regularity in the delivery OF bags and
pouches.
and for each of such omissions if theI failure be
casoned by the fault of the contractor or carrier,
three times the pay Of the trip will be deducted
For arrivals so far behind time as to break con-
nection with depending mails and not sufficiently
excused, fourth of the compensation for the trip
is subject to forfeiture For repeated denquinces
of the kind herein specified, enlarged penalties pro-
poroned to the nature thereof and the importance
of the mail, may be made.
5. For leaving behind throwing off the mails, or
any portion of Them for the admission of passengers
for being concerned in setting up or running an
express conveying intelligence in advance of the
mail, quarters pay may be deducted.
6. Fines will be imposed, unless the delinquency be
promptly and satisfactorily explained by certificates
of posmasters or the afdavits Of other credible per-
sons for failing to arrive in contract tme for neg
Letting take the mail from, deliverit into, post
office; for suffering it to be wet, injured destroyed
robbed or lost; and for refusing, after demand, to
convey the mail as frequently as the contractor runs
or is concerned in running, coach, car or steam
boat on a route.
for repeated failures to run agreeaby to contract tor
assigning the contract for violating the post office
laws or dls9beyng the OF the Depart
quired by the Department to do SO; for running an
express aforesaid for transporting persons
packages conveying maable matter out of the mail.
8. The Postmaster General may order an increase
of service on route by allowing therefor pro rata
increase on the contract pay. He may change sched
ues OF departures and arrivals all cases. and par
ticularly to make them conform to connections with
railroads. without increase Of pay, provided the run
may also discontinue curtail the SERVICE in whole
or in part in order to place the route superior
service whenever the public interests, in his judg-
ment, shall require such discontinuance curtal-
ment for any other cause; he allowing, full ndem
nifty to contractor, one months extra pay on the
amount of service dispensed with, and a pro rata
compensation fer the amount of service retained and
continued.
g. Payments will be made by collections from, or
alton of each quarter-say in November, February,
May and August provided that required evidence Of
service has been received.
10. The distances given believed to be substan-
TALLY correct; but no increased pay will be allowed
should they be greater than advertised if the points
to be supplied are correctly stated. Bidders mast
inform themselves on this point and also in refer
to the weight of the mail the condition of hills,
roads, streams, &c., and all tol-bridges, turnpikes,
pank-roads, ferries, distractions of any kind by
which expense may be incurred. No claim for add-
tional pay, based such ground can be considered
degree of service; for bridges destroyed ferries
discontinued, or other distractions causing in
creasing distance or expense occurring during the
contract term Offices established after this adver
tsement is issued and alsoduring the contract term
to be visited without extra pay if the distance be
not increased.
H. Bidders are cautioned to mail their proposals in
time to reach the Department by the day and hour
named in the advertisement, bids received after
that time ao not be considered in competition with
bids of reasonable amount received in time Neither
bids be considered which without the bond,
OATH and certificate required by section 245, act of
June 90, 1874.
-. Bidders should first propose for service strictly
accordnto the advertisement, and then, ii they de-
SIRE separately for different service: and if the regu
lar bid be the lowest offered for the advertised
vice, the other propositions may be considered.
o i9e1e sn6na ee ouS Ie ,3ote 9u tor pro-
one sum for two or more routes') cannot be consid
cred.
and residence of the bidder THAT is his usual post
Office address) and the name of each member of a
firm where company offers, should be distinctly
stated.
Is. Bidders are requested to use as far as practi-
CABLE the printed proposals furnished by the Depart
ment, to write out in full the of their bids, and
to retain copies of them.
Bids altered in the route, the service, the yearly
pay, the of the bidder, by erasures inter
lineatons, should not be submitted; and if so sub
mitted will not be considered in awarding the
tracts. No withdrawal of bid will be allowed I'M
less the withdrawal is received twenty-four hours
previous to the time fixed for opening the proposals.
16. In of failure of the accepted bidder to
cute contract, or of the abandonment of service
during the contract term the service will be read
yertised and relet at the expense of the falling bid
der contractor and any accepted bidder who shall
wronguly refuse or fail to enter into contract in due
FORM and to perform the service described in his pro-
posal may be deemed guilty of msdemeanor, and,
on conviction thereof. be fined and imprisoned there
for.
II. The Postmaster General reserves the right to
reject any bid which may be deemed extravagant;
and also to disregard the bids OF failing contractors
and bidders.
No contract for carrying the mail shall be made
with any person who has entered, or proposed TO en-
ter, into any combination to prevent the making of
any bid for carrying the mail, or who has made any
agreement, or given or performed, or promised to
give or perform, any consideration whatever to in
duce any other person not to bid for any such con-
tract.
No bidder for carrying the mails shall be released
from his obligation under his bid proposal, not
wthstandng an award made to a lower bidder, until
contract for the designated 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 Cen
eral
By regulation OF the Department, no carrier can
be employed who is under sixteen years of age; and
no bidder will be accepted who under twenty one
years Of age, or who is a married woman.
49, The bid should be sealed, superscrbed email
Proposals. State of Maine," addressed "Second As
sistant Postmaster General, Contract Office.
19. Every proposal must be accompanied by bond
with two or more sureties approved by postmaster,
and in cases where the amount OF the bond exceeds
five thousand dollars GS5,0OO by postmaster of the
first second third class. Bids for service the paw
for which at the time of advertisement exceeds five
thousand dollars, ($5000O must be accompanied by
certified check or draft, payable to the order of the
Postmaster General, on some solvent national bank
of not less than five per centum the amount of the
annual pay such route, and in case of new mod
flied SERVICE not less than five per centum of the
amount of the bond accompanying the bid, if the
amount of said bond exceeds ($5.OOO) five thousand
dollars.
The amount of bond required with bids, and the
present pay when it exceeds (S5,000) five thousand
dollars, are stated in the advertisement under the
appropriate route.
Sureties on the bond of bidder must take an oath
before officer qualified to administer oaths that
they are the owners of real estate WORTH in the ag
and above all debts due and owing by them, and all
judgements, mortgages, and executions againet
them after allowing all exemptions of every charac
90 All checks deposited with bids will be held uu-
I'll contract is executed and the seryce commenced by
the accepted bidder. Checks aoiU then be returned
By mail, on the aortten request of the bidder de-
Agered to any one on his order.
q. The contracts are to be executed and returned
TENDER, 1876, otherwise the accepted bidder a1 be
considered as having faited, and the Postmaster
General may proceed to contract for the service NTH
other parties, according to t03o.
Assignments of contracts, or of interest in con-
tracts, are forbidden by law, and consequently can
not be allowed. Neither bids interest in bids
be transferred assigned to other parties Bidders
will therefore take notice that they will be expected
to perform the service awarded to them through the
whole contract term.
%. Section 249 of the act of June g. 1872 provides
that contracts for their ansportation of the mail
shall be awarded to the lowest bidder rendering suf
hcent guarantees for faithful performance, without
other reference to the mode of such transportation
than may be necessary to provide for the due celer
1ty, certainty and security thereof" Under this law
bids that propose to transport the mails with "ceer
ay, certainty, and security, hdUing been decided to
6e the only legal bids, are construed as providing for
the entire mail, hoceUer large and aOb0teUer may be
the mode of conveyance necessary TO insure its see
teriy, certainty. and security, and hare the prefer
enee o0er all Others, and no others considered,
except for steamboat routes
70. A modification of a bid in any of its essential
terms is tantamount to new bid, and cannot be
celved SO as to interfere with regular competition
Making new bid in proper form is the only way to
modify previous one.
Z4 Fostmasters are cautioned, under penalty of
removal not to sign the approval OF the bond of any
bidder before the bond is signed by the bidder and
his suretes and not until entirely satisfied of the
sutficency of the sureties.
No postmaster, assistant postmaster, or clerk en-
ployed in any pc st office shall be contractor or con-
cerned in ponfr act for CARRYING tba mail