National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-07-10

Bond required with Did, $50.
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
| MASTERS:
Containing also conditions to be incorporated in
the contracts to the srfent the Department may
The Postmaster General warns bidders and
| their sureties to acquaint themselves fully with
| carrying Of the mails (the Important provisions
Of which are cited herein,) and also to famiiarize
| themselves with the instructionsaud forms herein
furnished, before they shall assume any Iiabili-
| ties as such bidders or sureties and to prevent
misapprehension or cause Of complaint there
| after.
| POstmasters are required to make themselves
| familiar with the laws and these instructions
that they may be able to inform and direct
i, l. Seven minutes are allowed to each Interme-
diate office, when not otherwise specified, for as
| sorting the mails.
mits Of 1t 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. "Way bills" or receipts, prepared by post
| masters or other agents of the Department, will
destination Of the several bags, to be examined by
the postmasters, to insure regularity in the deiv-
| cry Of bags and pouches.
and for each of such omissions, If the failure be
occasioned by the fault of the contractor or car
Quoted e 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 delnquencies of the kind herein specified,
| enlarged penalties, proportional to the nature
thereof and the Importance Of the mail, may be
| made.
| 5. For leaving behind or throwing off the mails,
| or any portion of them, for the admission of pas
running an express conveying intelligence in ad-
| vance OF the mail, quarters pay may be de-
| Quoted.
Q. Fines will be imposed unless the delin-
| quency be promptly and satisfactorily explained
by certificates of postmasters Or.the aidavits of
contract time; for negiecting to take the mail
FROM deliver it 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 steamboat
| T. The Postmaster General may annul the con-
| tract for repeated failures to run agreeably to
contract; for assigning the contract; for violating
| the Post Office laws, or dlsObeyng the instruc-
tiOns 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 packages conveying mail
| able matter out of the mail
| s. The Postmaster General may order an in
| crease Of service on route by allowing therefor
| pro rata increase on the contract pay He may
change. schedules of departures and arrivals in
to connections with railroads, without increase of
/ pay, provided the running time be not abridged.
| The Postmaster General may also discontinue or
curtai the service in whole in part in order to
place on the route superior service, or whenever
| the public interests, in his Judgment, shall re-
auire such diseontinuance or curIailment for any
other cause he allowing as full indemnity t. con-
| tractor one months extra pay on the amount of
| service dispensed with, and n pro rata cOmpensa-
ton Tor the amount OF service retained and con-
| tinued.
| 9. Payments will be made by collections from,
or drafts on, pOstmasters, 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 sub
| stantiaI.r correct; but no increased pay will be
allowed should they be greater than advertised,
| if the points to be supplied correctly stated.
and also in reference to the weight of the mail,
the condition of the hills, roads, streams &C., and
all tobridges, turnpikcs, plankroads, 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 alleged
| mistakes or Misrepresentation as to the degree of
service; for bridges destroyed, ferries discon-
tinued other distractions causing or 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
bids received after that time ciH not be conSid-
| cred in competition with bids Of reasonable
considered which are without the.bond, oath and
certificate required by section 245 act of June %,
L. 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.
10. There should be but one route bid for in
proposal. Consolidated combination bids
| (''prOposing one sum for two or more routes')
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 firm where company offers, should
Is. Bidders are requested to USE as far as prac-
ticable, 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
pay, the name of the bidder, by erasures or in
| submitted will not be considered in awarding the
contracts. No withdrawal of a bid will be al
lowed unless the withdrawal is received twenty
four hours previous to the time fixed for opening
| the proposals.
10. In case of failure of the accepted bidder to
execute contract, or of the abandonment of ser
vice during the contract term, the service will be
re-advertised and re-let at the expense of the
falling bidder or contractor, and any accepted
into contract in due form, and to perform the
vice described Ia his proposal, may be deemed
guilty of misdemeanOr, and, on conviction
thereof, be fined and imprison ed 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
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 an award made to n lower
bidder, until 4 contract for the designated ser
vice shall have been duly executed by such lower
bidder and his sureties, and accepted and the
vice entered upon by the contractor to the salts
| faction of the Postmaster General.
~ nlnf linn nf hn rfunnn mo- 0r aar
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
woman.
IS. The bid should be sealed, superscribed mail
Proposals, State of Virginia" addressed Second
Assistant Postmaster General, Contract Office"
10. Every proposal must be accompanied by a
bond with two or more sureties approved by
postmaster, and in cases where the amount of the
bond exceeds five thousand dollars (s5, 0OO) by a
postmaster of the first, second or third class.
Bids for service, the pay for which at the time of
(s5000,) must be accompanied by a certified
check, draft, payable to the order of the Post
master General, on some solvent national bank,
of not less than five per centum on the amount of
the annual pay on such route and in case of new or
modified service not less than five per centum of
the amount of the bond accompanying the bid, If
the amount Of said bond exceeds (S5,OOO) five
thousand dollars.
The amount of bond required with bids, and the
present pay when it exceeds e., O0O) five thousand
dollars arc stated in the advertisement under the
appropriate route.
oath before officer qualified to administer Oaths
that they are 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
menced by the accepted bidder Checks iUiH then
be returned by mail, on the pritten request of the
bidder. or delivered 10 any his order.
q. The contracts are TO be executed and returned
TO the Department by or before the 10th day of Sep
TENDER, 1876, otherwise the accepted bidder t1iH be
considered as having failed, and the Postmaster
General may proceed TO contract for the service
Nth other parties, according to 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 will therefore take notice that they will
be expected to perform the service awarded to
them through the whole contract term.
p. Section 2i9 of the act of June 1892 provides
that contracts for the transportation of the mail
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 to provide for the
due CELEBRITY, certainty, and security thereof"