The Portland daily press., 1876-06-20
United States Mail.
MIAMI .
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
- Washington. May 20, 1876.
| PROPOSALS will be received at the Contract Of
Il flee of this Department until o'clock D. m. of
July 49, 1876, Ito be decided by the 31st JULY for car
Tying the mails Of the United States from October 1,
1916 to June 80, 1877, on the following route in the
State OF Maine, and by the schedule of departures
| and arrivals herein specified, viz:
| 241-From Freeport to South Durham miles and
| back, three times week.
Leave Freeport Monday Wednesday, and Fri
day at p. M;
Arrive at South Durham by 4.3Op.m.;
Leave south Durham Monday Wednesday, and
arrive at EreepOrt by 1.50 p. M
Bond required with bid, 5000.
| 24s-From Damariscotta Mills to North New Castle
miles and back, six times week.
Leave Damarscotta Mills daily, except Sunday,
at $50 p. m., on arrival of western mails
Arrive at North New Castle at $50 p. M;
Leave North New Castle daily, except Sunday,
Arrive at Damariscotta Mills by 43O D. m.
Bond required with bid, $500.
2i9-From Dexter, by South Sangerville, to Brock
ways Mills, 81 miles and back, three times
Leave Dexter Tuesday, Thursday, and Satur-
day at II a. m;
Arrive at Brockway's Mills by p. M;
Leave Brockway's Mills Tuesday, Thursday,
and Saturday at s45 a. m;
Arrive at Dexter at 10.45 a. m.
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 mag deem
proper.
their suretes to acquaint 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 familiaize themselves
with the instructions and forms herein furnished be-
fore they shall assume any liabilities as such bidders
sureties 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
Q. 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.
"Way bills' or receipts, prepared by postmasters
| or other agents of the Department, will accompany
the mails, specifying the number and destination of
to insure regularity in the delivery OF bags and
pouches.
and for each of such omissions ii thel failure be
casioned by the fault of the contractor carrier,
three times the pay Of the trip will be deducted.
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-
portioned to the nature thereof and the importance
of the mail, may be made.
| o. For leaving behind or throwing Oft the mails, or
any portion of them for the admission OF passengers
| or for being concerned in setting up running
express conveying intelligence in advance of the
mall quarters pay may be deducted.
g. Fines will be imposed, unless the delinquency be
promptly and satisfactorily explained by certificates
of potmasters or the adavits of other credible per-
sons, for falling to arrive in contract time; for neg
Letting to take the mail from, deliver into, post
office for suffering it to be wet, injured destroyed,
robbed lost; and for refusing, after demand, to
convey the mail frequently the contractor runs
or is concerned in running, coach, car or steam
boat on route.
7. The Postmaster General may annul the contract
for repeated failures to agreeaby to contract 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
quired by the Department to do so; tor running
express aforesaid; for transporting persons
packages conveying maable matter out of the mail.
s. 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
ules of departures and arrivals all cases. and par
ticuary to make them conform to connections with
ming time be not abridged. The postmaster General
may also discontinue curtail the SERVICE in whole
or in part in order to place on the route superior
ment, shall require such discontinuance curtail
ment for any other cause he allowing as full indem
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.
drafts on, posmasters otherwise, after the expir
alton of each quarter-say in November, February,
May and August, provided that required evidence of
| service has been received.
TO- The distances given are 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 this point, and also in refer
ence to the weight OF the mail the condition of hills
plankrOads, ferries distractions of any kind by
which expense may be incurred. No claim for addi-
tonal pay, based on such ground, can be considered
nor for alleged mistakes or msapprehenson as to the
degree of servce nor for bridges destroyed ferries
discontinued, or other distractions causing or in
creasing distance expense occurring during the
contract term Offices established after this adver-
tisement issued and also!during the contract term
are 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 cU 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
June %, 1874.
12 Bidders should first propose for service strictly
according to the advertisement, and then they de-
SIRE separately for different servce and if the regu
lar bid be the lowest offered for the advertised SER
vice, the other propositions may be considered.
Is. There should be but route bid for in pro-
posal. Consolidated combination bids, proposing
one sum for two or more routeso cannot be consid
cred.
Il. The route the SERVICE the yearly pay. the name
and residence of the bidder THAT is, his usual post
office addressO and the name of each member of
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 sum of their bids, and
to retain copies of them. u
Bids altered in the route, the SERVICE the yearly
pay, or the name of the bidder by erasures or inter-
lneations should not be submitted; and if so sub
mitted will not be considered in awarding the
tracts. No withdrawal of bid will be allowed
less the withdrawal is received twenty-four hours
previous to the time fixed for opening the proposals.
49, In of failure of the accepted bidder to exc
cute contract, or of the abandonment of service
during the contract term the service will be read
yertsed and re-let at the expense of the failing bid
der or contractor and any accepted bidder who shall
wronguy refuse fail to enter into contract in due
FORM 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, proposed to
ter, into any combination to prevent the making of
any bid for carrying the mail, 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
tract
No bidder for carrying the mails shall be released
from his obligation under his bid proposal, not
withsanding an award made to lower bidder, until
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 Gen
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 is under twenty one
years of age, or who is married woman.
Is. The bid should be sealed, superseded 'S1ail
Proposals, State of Maine" addressed "Second As
sstant 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 ($5OOC by postmaster of the
first, second or third class Bids for service, the pay
for which at the time of advertisement exceeds five
thousand dollars, (S5OOO,) 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 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 (S5.0IM five Thousand