Trrx.r·: xLvr.——'1`I-IE POSTAL SERVICE.—Ch. 8. 767 and the service entered upon by the contractor to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General. Sm. 3953. Hereafter all hidden upon every mai1—route for the trans- Bidi! _¤> be M- yortation of the mails upon the sa e. where the annual compensation 3g;1s“';:°dkby”" or the service ou such route at the time exceeds the sum of five thou- —<£¥°L¥~— sand dollars. shall accom uy their bids with a certified check or draft, {,§' %;;‘ ¥g$; ( payable to the order ognthe Postmaster-General upon some solvent 456, ,_ 12,2; 18,, pj national bank. which check or draft shall not be less than five per centum 235. on the amount of the annual pay on such route at the time such bid is U A“9—· 1876- °· made; and in case of new service, not less than five r centum of the 2m' ”‘ 19* p' 129 amount of one year`s pay proposed in such bid, if the bid exceed five thousand dollars per annum. In case any bidder, on being awarded any such contract, shall fail to execute the same, with good and sufficient suretieqaccordiugto the terms on which such bid was made and accepted. and enter upon the performance of the service to the satisfaction of the Pos¤uaster—General, such bidder shall forfeit the amount so deposited to the United States, and the same shall forthwith be paid into the Treasury for the use of the Post—Oilice Department; but 1f such coutract shall be duly executed and the service entered upon to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General, such draft or chock so deposited shall he returned to the bidder. Sec. 3954. Aozypervon or personsdingfort le tran tation of the ¤¤¤ W OY _¤i · mae`]: upon any route which may be advertised fo be let, Zzhozgveceiving an :0':t:£c:“t°' mm award of t}usc0n¢rac¢_for such service, who shall uvongfidly rq/‘l¢se01·_faiZ ta ~———— enter Into crmlrud wflb Nw ]°0xtma.sz’er· Guwral in duefarm, and perform 331; gu;;; :8;% °' the a¤»mw'ce descrihd in his or their bid or prqposrri, shall bedeemed guilty of 315{’’p' a m:J<d¢nwan01·. and be punishable by ajzne of not more t/ranfve t/umxand 11 Aug., 1876, c. dollars. and by impwlwmment for rmt more Hum twelve months.] [Any 260· ”- 19· P- 129- person or rsons bidding for the transportation of the mails u n any route whiclhemav be advertised to be let, and receiving an awargof the contract for such service, who shall wrongfully refuse or fail to enter into contract with the Postmaster-General in ue form to perform the- service described in his or their bid or proposal, or having entered into such contract shall wrongfully refuse or fail to perform such service, shall, for any such failure or refusal, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by a fine of not more than hvo thousand dollars, and by inrprisonment for not more than twelve months. And the failure or re usal of any such person or persons to enter into such contract in due form, or having entered into such contract the failure or refusal to perform such service. shall be primwfacie evidence in all actions 01· prosecutions arising under this section that such failure or refusal was wrongful.] Sec. 3955. The Postmaster·General, whenever he may deem it con— New ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤- existent with the public interest, may accept new surety upon any contract g yum, ]872_ c_ existing or hereafter made for carrying the mails, in substitution for and 335, s. 255, v. 17, p. release of any existing surety. 315-. . f . f Sec. 3956. No contract for carrying the mail shall be made for a coil;;;;? me ° longer term than four years, and no contract for carrying the mail on the sea shall be made for a longer term than two years. 3;;*]-· F- 25:; Sec. 3957. \Vhenever, by reason of any error, omission, or other cause. of c0:';§2€ mm any route which should ro rly be advertised for the regular letting ~—-T———-—— is omitted, it shall be the $$1:;* of the Postmaster—Gen<·ral to adver- Ib‘d··* 251 tise the same as soon as the error or omission shall be discovered. and the proposals for such route shall be opened as soon as possible after the other roposals in the same contract section; and the contract made under such, supplementary advertisement shall run, as nearly as ossible, from the beginning to the cud of the regular contract term, anti; during the time necessarily lost by reason of such error, omission, or other cause, the Postmaster-General shall Erovide for the CI\.l'l‘yil\g’ of the mail on such route at as low rate as possi lc, without advertising. Sec. 3958. Whenever it becomes necessary to change the terms of an _N¤ti¤¤ of i¤*¤¤— existing contract for carrying the mail otherwise than as provided in the fg2r2s;? c';:;:'?
