Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 17.djvu/353

 FORTY—SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 335. 1872. 313 Src. 242. That any ferryman who shall delay the passage of the mail Penalty upon by wilful neglect or refusal to transport the same across any ferry shall, f°“ZY“‘““ M d°‘f for every ten minutes such mail may be so delayed, forfeit; and pay ten sage ° dollars. SE0. 243. That before making any contract for carrying the mail, other Prvppsals for than those hereinafter excepted, the Postmaster-General shall give public  Sify5E__ notice by advertising once a week for six weeks in one or more, not exceed- tiscmf before couing five, newspapers published in the State or Territory where the service tum M6 made; is to be performed, one of which shall be published at the seat of government of such State or Territory; and such notice shall describe the route, advertisement the time at which the mail is to be made up, the time at which it is to be *0 s°““’ ‘”h““? delivered, and the frequency of the service ; and the Postmaster—Ge11ei·al shall direct, by special order in each case, the newspapers in which mail- lloffgggglggsklc lettings, or other proposals relative to the business of his department, shall be ’ ` advertised, and no publisher shall be paid for such advertisements without having been requested by the P0stmaster·General to publish the same. Sec. 244. That proposals for carrying the mail shall be delivered sealed, Ifroposals to be and so kept until the bidding is closed, and shall then be opened and marked Q;h;';;;é‘“£lm in the presence of the Postmaster-General, and one of the assistant post- xml; ’ ` masters-gene`x·al, or of two of the assistant postmasters-general, or of any when and Mw other two officers of the department, to be designated by the Postmaster- t° b° °p°"”d' General; and any bidder may withdraw his bid at any time before twenty- Bidders muy four hours previous to the time fixed for the opening of proposals, by Willldmw bids, servinv upon the P0stmaster—Gcneral, or the second assistant postmaster-- md h°w‘ generai, notice in writing of such withdrawal. Src. 245. That every proposal for carrying the mail shall be accom- Pf<>x>¤S¤}¤ t0 panied by a written guarantee, signed by one or more responsible per- h3::3‘;Q;;'tQf";t sons, and undertaking that, within such time after the bid is accepted as ic.; 1 ’ the P0stmaster—General may prescribe, the bidder will enter into an obligation, with good and sufficient sureties, to perform the service proposed; m>¤ to he conand no proposals shall be considered unless accompanied by such guar- 2:;***1 ""°h°“*· antee. ` Src. 246. That each bid for carrying the mail shall hereafter have Bidwhavg affixed to it the oath of the bidder, taken before an officer qualified to wth of biddmj administer oaths that he has the ability pecuniarily to fulfil his obliga- amx°d’m“°'&°' tions, and that the bid is made in good iaith and with the intention to enter into contract and perform the service, in case his bid shall be accepted; and that the signatures of his guarzmtors are genuine, and that he believes said guarautors pecuniarily responsible for and able to pay all damages the United States shall suffer by reason of the bidder’s failing to perform his obligations as such bidder. Src. 247. That any postmaster or other officer of the Post-ofiice De- Penalty uplou partment who shall affix his signature to the certificate of sufficiency of  'gy @ai·ant0rs or sureties before the guaranty or contract is signed by the sumcmgy ,,$ xguarantors or sureties, or shall knowingly make any false or illusory cer- %¤¤r¤n¤g>r¤, &<>·, y jzificate, shall be forthwith dismissed from office, and shall be deemed 8f°”* &°' A " guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, be punished I by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not ’ 'exceealiiig one year, or both. -·¤ Sec. 248. That the Postmaster-General shall have recorded, in a book Abmm or to be kept for that purpose, a true and faithful abstract of all proposals D*9D‘j*3lS ¤"¤*_€¤*‘· made to him for carrying the mail, giving the name of the party offering, glggrégrrgzk? the terms of the offer, the sum to be paid, and the time the contract is to continue; and he shall put on file and preserve the originals of all such proposals. Sue. 2+9. That all contracts for carrying the mail shall be in the name 2:rl,itl{°r’ of the United States, and shall be awarded to the lowest bidder tender- ngune of the ing sufficicnt guarantees for faithful performance, without other reference ;;Et;€__£;i‘;§°{0 to the mode of transportation than may be necessary to provide for the 1¤“·@s¤p14(m,&c.