National Republican., 1876-06-05

uecm
The Postmaster General warns bidders and
their sureties to acquaint themselves fully with
the laws OF Congress relating to contracts for the
carryng OF me mails, tEe nnportans PrTysgns
themselves with the instructions and forms herein
furnished, before they shall assume any iabili-
ties as such bidders or sureties, and to prevent
Misrepresentation or cause Of complaint there
after.
Postmasters are required to make themselves
familiar with the laws and these Instructions
others:
/. Seven MINUTES are allowed to each interms-
sorting the mails.
2. on routes where the mode of conveyance ad-
ms Of IL the special agents Of the Post Office De-
partment, also post Office blanks mail bags, LOCKS
and keys, are TO be conveyed without extra
charge.
8. sway bills" or receipts, prepared by post
masters 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 delIv-
cry Of bags and pouches.
!. No pay will be male for trips not performed;
and for ench Of such omissions, If the failure be
occasiOned by the fault of the contractor OF car.
rier three times the pay OF .he trip will be de-
Quoted. For arrivals so far behind time as to
break connection with depending mails, and not
sufficiently excused, one fourth OF the compensa-
tion for the trip is subject to forfeiture. For
peated delinquencies Of the kind herein specified,
enlarged penalties, proportioned to the nature
thereof and the Importance Of the mail, may be
made.
5. For leaving behind or throwing of the mails,
or any portion Of them, for the admission Of pas
sengers, or for being concerned in setting up or
vance Of the mail, a quarters pay may be de-
Quoted.
8. Fines will be imposed, unless the delin-
quency be promptly and satisfactorily explained
by certificates Of postmasters orthe af1dayits Of
other credible persons, for failing to arrive in
contract time; for neglecting to take the mail
FROM or deliver il into post office; for suffering
II to be wet, injured, destroyed, robbed lost;
and for refusing, after demand, to convey the
m n franu ont Iv N,a to
concerned in running, a coach, car or steamboat
on route.
I. The Postmaster General may annul the con-
tract for repeated failures to run agreeably to
contract; for assigning the contract; for violating
the Post Oflce laws, or disobeying the instruc-
tions Of the department; for refusing discharge
a carrier when required by the department to do
so; fer running an express as Aforesaid; or for
Transporting persons or rpackages conveying mail
able matter out Of the mail.
g. The Postmaster General may order an in
crease of service on a route by allowing therefor
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
curtail the service in whole in part in order to
place on the route superior service, or whenever
the public interests In his judgme ent, shall re-
quire such discontinuance or eurtailment for any
other cause he allowing as full indemnity to con-
service dispensed with, and pro rdta compensa-
tinued.
Q. 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-
10. The distances given are believed to be sub
stantially correct; but no increased pay will be
if the points to be supplied are correctly stated.
Bidders must inform Themselves on this point,
and also in reference to the weight Of the mail,
the condition of the hills reads, streams &C., and
all tOll-DTiQpeS turlnikes nlanE-rOals- ferries
obstructicns of any kind by which expense may be
incurred. No claim for additional pay, based on
mistakes or Misrepresentation as to the degree Of
service; nor for bridges destroyed ferries dIscon-
tinued, or other distractions causing increasing
distance or expense occurring during the contract
term. Offices established after this advertise
ment is issued, and also during the contract term,
are to be visited without extra pay if the distance
be not increased.
IL. Bidders are cautioned to mail their pro-
posals in time to reach the Department by the
day and hour named In the advertisement, as
bids received after that time tciH not be consid-
cred in competition with bids of reasonable
amount received in time. Neither can bids be
considered which are without the. bond, oath and
1874.
II. Bidders should first propose for service
strictly according TO the advertisement and then,
if they desire, separately for different service;
and if the regular bid be the lowest offered for
the advertised service, the other propositions may
be considered.
Is. There should be but one route bid for in
proposal. Consolidated or combination bids
c'propCsing one sum for two or more routes'D
cannot be considered.
IA. 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 o firm where o company offers, should
be distinctly stated.
Is. Bidders are requested to use, as far as prac-
tieable, the printed proposals furnished by the
Department, to write out in full the sum of their
bids, and to retain copies Of them.
Bids altered in the route, the service the yearly
10 N a m n % hfHdRr " araS nrf In
terlineaiions, should not be submitted; and If so
submitted will not be considered in awarding the
contracts. No withdrawal of q bid will be al
lowed unless the withdrawal is received twenty
four hours previous to the time fixed for opening
the proposals..
execute contract, or Of the abandonment of ser
vice during the contract term, the service will be
re-advertlsed and re-let at the expense of the
falling bidder or contractor, and any accepted
bidder who shall wrongfully refuse or ail to enter
into contract In due form, and to perform the SER
vice described in his proposal, may be deemed
guilty of n misdemeanOr, and, on conviction
thereof, be fined and imprisoned therefor.
II. The Postmaster General reserves the right
to reject any bid which may be deemed extrava-
giant; 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
enter into any combination to prevent the max
ing 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 induce any other person not to bid for
any such contract
No bidder for carrying the mails shall be re-
leased from his obligation under his bid or pro-
posal, notwithstanding IN award made to q lower
bidder, until contract for the designated SER
bidder and his sureties and accepted and the ser
vice entered upon by the contractor to the salts
faction Of the Postmaster General.
BY regulation of the Department, no carrier can
be employed who is under sixteen years Of age;
and no bidder will be accepted who Is under
twentyone years Of age, or who is married
Is. The bid should be sealed, superscribed 'Mail
Proposals, State of Virginia. addressed Second
Assistant Postmaster General, Contract Once"
l9. Every proposal must be accompanied BY a
bond with two or more sureties approved by a
postmaster, and in cases where the amount OF the
postmaster Of the first, second or third class.
Bids for service the pay for which at the time Of
advertisement exceeds five thousand dollars,
(S5,c00,) must be accompanied by certified
check, draft, payable to the order Of the Post
master General, on some solvent national bank,
Of not less than i've per centum on the amount of
modified service. not less than five per centum Of
the amount Of the bond accompanying the bid, If
the amount Of said bond exceeds (sS,o0o) i've
thousand dollars.
The amount Of bond required with bids, and the
present pay when 1t exceeds $4,000 five thousand
dollars, are stated in the advertisement under the
appropriate route.
Sureties on the bond of a bidder must take an
oath before an officer qualified to administer oaths
that they arc the owners of real estate worth In
the aggregate a sum double the amount Of said
bond, over and above all debts due and owing by
them, and all judgments, mortgages, and execu-
tions against them, after allowing all exemptions
of every character whatever.
20. All checks deposited with bids will be held
until contract is executed and the service con-
menced by the accepted bidder. Checks viH then
be rctuI ned by mail, on the rrihen request of the
bidder. or de.irered TO any one on his order.
p. The contracts are 10 be executed ard returned
10 the Department by or before the 10th day of Sep
fember, 1876, otherwise the accepted bidder piH be
considered as having failed, and the PostmGster
General may proceed TO contract for the ser1tce
Nth other parties, according 10 lao.
Assignments Of contracts, or of interest In con-
tracts, are forbidden by law, and consequently
cannot be allowed. Neither can bids, or interest
in bids be transferred assigned to other parties
Bidders viii therefore take notice that they will
be expected to perform the service awarded to
them through the whole cOntraetterm.
a. Section 80 Of the act of June s. 1897 provides
that contracts for the transportation of the III all
shall be awarded to the lowest bidder rendering
sufficient guarantees for faithful performance,
without other reference TO the mode OF such trans
pOrtation than may be necessary provide for the
due celebrity, certainty, and security thereof"
Under this law bids that propose to transport the
mails with ''ceierity, certainty, and security"
hGriHg been decided TO be the only legal bids are
construed as proUidiny for the entire mail, hoIc
ertr large, aud i1LGterer may be the mo te Of con-
peyaaee necessary 10 insure IFS "celerfty, GER
fGinty and security" azd hare the preference orer
all others and no others are considered, except