FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS. Sess. I. 011. 456. 1874. 235 quarter next following such order; Provided, That in cases of not less P¤‘¤Vi¤¤- than ilfty per centum increase or decrease in the business of any post odlce, the Postmaster-General may adjust the salary of the postmaster at such oillce, to take elfect from the drst day of the quarter or period the returns for which term the basis of re~adj ustment." “ Sec. 86. That the Postmaster-General may designate otdces at the Postmaster-Ge n- intersectiou of mailroutcs as distributing or separating offices; and cw _¤¤¤! d¢>¤lz¤¤¤¤ where any uch office is of the third or fourth class he may make a rea- ‘1‘jF"*’“Q‘K °' °°P“’ sonsble allowance to the postmaster for the necessary cost of clerical "'_§§§“€°,,,,‘,;°Q,°g,,I,,,,,,,_ services arming from such duties? masters. Sec. 12. That section two hundred and forty-tive, section two hun- Amendment of dred and forty-six section two hundred and fortyseven, section two P¤¤*»—0¤“i¤¤ Mhhundred and fifty-one, and section two hundred and fifty-tl1ree of the t?72·°§,33?,‘h"°l· act entitled “Au act to revise, consolidate and amend the statutes re-xw ’PP' ’ ' lating to the Post Office Department, approved June eighth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, be amended to read as follows: " SEO. 245. That every proposal for carrying the mail shall be accom- All_P¤>l£¤¤¤·1¤_*"<>* pauied by the bond of the bidder, with sureties approved by a post- f)‘“">"“$uf §n‘{Q,‘3l,}° master, and in cases where the amount of the bond exceeds five thou- ,,,2,, iigd J} tho bitg sand dollars, by a postmaster of the iirst, second, or third class, in a sum dei-. . to be designated by the Postmaster-General m the advertisement of _Ar1>¤>*¤1 of ¤¤¤>· each route · to which bond a condition shall be annexed, that if the said **%*0 H d , ,,0 M of bidder shall, within such time after his bid‘is accepted as the Postmas— bony ter-General shall prescribe, enter into a contract with the United States ot America, with good and sufficient sureties, to be approved by the Postmaster·General to perform the service proposed in his said bid, and, further, that he shall perform the said service according to his contract, then the said obligation to be void, otherwise to be in full force and obligation in law; and in case of failure of any bidder to enter into such contract to perform the service, or, having executed a contract, in case of failure to perform the service, according to his contract, he and his Recovery upon sureties shall be liable for the amount of said bond as liquidated bond. damages, to be recovered in an action of debt on the said bond. No No mw,,,,; to bg proposal shall be considered unless it shall be accompanied by such oensidereduniessaebond, and there shall have been alllxed to said proposal the oath of the °°'SP”’;ll°d by b°“d bidder, taken before an oillcerqualfiled to administer oaths, that he has “" °“ ‘ the ability, pecuniarily, to fulilll his obligations, and that the bid is made in good faith, and with theintention to enter into contract and perform the service in case his bid is accepted" . •‘ Sec. 246. That before the bond of a bidder provided forin the afore- oaths or snreties said section is approved, there shall be indorsed thereon the oaths of ff bg ¤¤*l°*‘¤°<* “P°¤ the sureties therein, taken before an officer qualified to administer °“‘ °‘ oaths, that they are owners of real estate, worth in the aggregate, a" sum double the amount of the aid bond, over and above all debts due and owing by them, and all judgments, mortgages, and executions against them, after allowing all exemptions of every character whatever? “SEO. 247. That any postmaster who shall ailix his signature to the Postmaster illeapproval of any bond of a bidder, or to the certificate of suiilcieney of E ¤ I ly 9-YPYOVWS suretics in any contract before the said bond or contract; is signed by °“‘l· P°“" °Y· EDO bidder or contractor and his sureties, or shall knowingly, or without the exercise of due diligence, approve any bond of a bidder with insufficient sureties, or shall knowingly make any false or fraudulent certiii cate, shall be forthwith dismissed from oillce, and be thereafter disqualiiicd from holding the office of postmaster, and shall also be deemed guilty ot a misdemeanor, and, on convictionthereot, be punished by a line not exceeding nve thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or b0th." “ Sec. 251. That after any regular bidder whose bid has been accepted when bidder mais shall fail to enter into contract for the transportation of the mails a.cc0rd· to ¤¤¤¤r inw ¤¤¤- iug to his proposal, or, having entered into contract, shall fail to com- l12E2g;??;? mence the performance of the service stipulated in his or their contract, @,,,,,,,,3 to ,,0,,,,,,m as therein provided, the Postmaster-General shall proceed to contract with next lowest with the next lowest bidder for the same service, who will enter into a l>id¢l¤r ¤¤l¤¤¤» &¤-
