The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-11
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
MASTERS;

Bond required with bid, $500.
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 acquant themselves fully with the
laws of Congress relating to contracts for the carry
ing of the mails, (the important provisions of which
are cited herein and also to famiarize themselves
with the instructions and forms herein furnished be-
fore they shall assume any liabilities such bidders
suretes and to prevent misrepresentation or cause
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.
1. Seven minutes are allowed to each intermediate
Office when not otherwise specified, for asserting the
mails.
2. On routes where the mode of conveyance admits
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.
g. "Way bills" or receipts prepared by postmasters
other agents of the Department, will accompany
the mails specifying the number and destination of
the several bags, to be examined by the pOsmasers,
to insure regularity in the delivery OF bags and
pouches.
4. No pay will be made for trips not performed; ;
and for each of such omissions, ii thes failure be
casoned by the fault of the contractor 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 delinquncies
of the kind herein specified enlarged penalties, pro-
portioned to the nature thereof and the importance
of the mail, may be made.
g. For leaving behind or throwing off the mails, or
any portion OF them tor the admission OF passengers
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 postmasters the aidavits of other credible per-
esn d0t to the he @ OF
Offices for suffering it to be wet, injured destroyed
robbed or lost; and for refusing, after demand, to
convey the mail frequently the contractor runs
or is concerned in running, coach, car or steam
boat a route
Z. The Postmaster General may annul the contract
for repeated failures to agreeaby to contracts tor
assigning the contract; for violating the post office
laws or disobeying the instructions of the Depart
ment; for refusing to discharge a carrier when re-
quired by the Department to do SO; for running an
express aforesaid; for transporting persons
packages conveying maable matter out of the mail.
=. The Postmaster General may order an increase
OF service route by allowing therefor pro rata
increase on the contract pay. He may change sched
ules OF departures and arrivals III all cases. and par
ticulary to make them conform to connections with
railroads. without increase of pay provided the rum
ming time be not abridged. The Postmaster General
may also discontinue curta the SERVICE in whole
in part, in order to place on the route superior
service, whenever the public interests, in his judg
ment shall require such discontnuance or curtail-
ment for any other cause; he allowing, as full ndem
nifty TO contractor, one months extra pay on the
amount of service dispensed with. and pro rata
compensation fer the amount of service retained and
continued.
8. Payments will be made by collections from, or
drafts on, posmasters otherwise, after the expr
alton Of each quarter-say in November, February,
May and August provided that required evidence of
service has been received.
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 must
ence to the weight of the mall the condition of hills
roads, streams &C., and all t0ll-bridges, turnpikes
pank-roads, ferries, distractions Of any kind by
which expense may be incurred. No claim for addi-
tional pay, based such ground can be considered
nor for alleged mistakes or msapprehenson as to the
discontinued, or other distractions causing in
creasing distance or expense occurring during the
contract term Offices established after this adver
tisement 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 as bids received after
that time lri not be considered in competition with
bids of reasonable amount received in time Neither
can bids be considered which without the bond
oath, and certificate required by section 245 act of
49, Bidders should first propose for service strictly
according to the advertisement, and them ii they de-
SIRE separately for different service: and if the Tegu
lar bid be the lowest offered for the advertised
vice, the other propositions may be considered.
10. There should be but one route bid for in pro-
pOsal. Consolidated or combination bids, (prOposng
one sum for two or more Toutes) cannot be consid-
cred.
a. 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 a
firm where company offers, should be distinctly
stated
Is. Bidders are requested to use, 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 name of the bidder, by erasures inter
lneati0ns, 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-tour hours
To the time fl yp6 Onpninp the
16. In case 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 failing bid
der contractor and any accepted bidder who shall
wroDguly refuse fail to enter into contract in due
forn and to perform the service described in his pro-
posal, may be deemed guilty of misdemeanor, 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
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 or proposal, not
withstanding an award made to 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.
be employed who is under sixteen years of age; and
no bidder will be accepted who Is under twenty one
years Of age or who is married woman.
IS. The bid should be sealed, superscrbed email
Proposals, State of Maine," addressed "Second As
sistant Postmaster General, Contract Office.
49, 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 $4,000 by postmaster of the
AID fdG Tho
tor which at the time of advertisement exceeds five
thousand dollars, CS5O000 must be accompanied by
certified check, 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 on such route and in case of new or 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 ($5,0O0 five thousand
dollars.
The amount of bond required with bids, and the
present pay when it exceeds $4,000 five thousand
dollars, are stated in the advertisement under the
appropriate route.
Sureties on the bond of bidder must take an oath
before an officer qualified to administer oaths that
they the owners of real estate WORTH in the ag-
gregate, a sum double the amount of said bond
and above all debts due and owing by them, and all
judgements, mortgages, and executions againet
them after allowing all exemptions OF every charac-
ter whatever.
20 Ali checks deposited with bids will be held I'M
til contract is executed and the service commenced by
the accepted bidder. Checks sciJ then be returned
by mail, on the UrtteR request OF the 6tdder or de-
Guered TO any one on his order
q. The contracts are to De eTecuted and returned
to the Department by or before the 10th day Of Sep
teber 1876, otherwise the accepted bidder a7iH be
considered as hdDing failed, and the PoStmaSter
General may proceed to contract for the service NTH
other parties, according TO L0lU.
Assignments of contracts or of interest in con-
tracts, are forbidden by law and consequently can
not be allowed. Neither BIDS or 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.
D. Section 2i9 of the act of June 8, 1872 provides
that contracts for thec ansportation of the mail
shall he awarded to the lowest bidder rendering suf-
cient guarantees tor faithful performance without
other reference to the mode of such transportation
than may be necessary to provide for the due ceer
ity certainty and security thereof" Under this law
bids that propose to transport the mails with ceteT
y, certainty, and security, hauing been decided to
be the only legal bids, construed as prOUidng for
the entire mail, however large, and ch0tecer may be
the mode of conveyance necessary TO insure its see
teriy ceTtdintg and Securifg, and hare the prefer