TWENTY-FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess.I. Ch. 270. 1836.

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curtailments of expenses effected by the Department within the pre-ceding year, specifying, in each case, the same particulars as requiredin cases of additional allowances.

Third, A report of all incidental expenses of the Department for theyear ending on the thirtieth day of June preceding, arranged accordingto their several objects as for “ wrapping paper,” “ office furniture,”“ advertising,” “ mail bags,” “ blanks,” “ mail locks, keys, and stamps,”“mail depredations, and special agents,” “clerks for offices,” “miscel-laneous,” showing the sum paid under each head of expenditures, andthe names of the persons to whom paid, except only that the names ofpersons employed in detecting depredations on the mail, and other con-fidential agents, need not be disclosed in said report.

Fourth, A report of the finances of the Post Office Department forthe year ending on the thirtieth day of June preceding, showing thewhole amount of balances due to the Department at the beginning ofthe year, from postmasters and all others, the whole amount of postagethat accrued within the year, the whole amount of the engagements andliabilities of the Department for mail transportation during the year,the amount actually paid during the year, for and on account of mailtransportation, and otherwise, stating separately so much of the saidamount as may have been paid on account of the transportation of themail, and for other debts for the same object, in preceding years.

Fifth, A report of all fines imposed, and deductions from the pay ofcontractors made during the preceding year, for failures to deliver themail, or for any other cause, stating the names of the delinquent con-tractors, the nature of the delinquency, the route on which it occurred,the time when it occurred, the time when the fine was imposed, andwhether the fine has been remitted, or order for deduction rescinded,and for what reason.

Sec. 23. And he it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of thePostmaster General, before advertising for proposals for the transporta-tion of the mail, to form the best judgment practicable as to the mode,time, and frequency of transportation on each route, and to advertiseaccordingly. No consolidated or combination bid shall be received,and no additional compensation shall be made to any mail contractor,so as that the compensation for additional regular service shall exceedthe exact proportion which the original compensation bears to theoriginal services stipulated to be performed: and no extra allowanceshall be made to any contractor, by the Postmaster General, for anincrease of expedition in the transportation of the mail, unless therebythe employment of additional stock or carriers, by the contractor, shallbe rendered necessary; and in such case, the additional compensationshall never bear a greater proportion to the additional stock or carriersrendered necessary, than the sum stipulated in the original contractbears to the stock and carriers necessarily employed in its execution,and when any extra service shall be ordered, the amount of the allow-ance therefor, in dollars and cents, shall be signified in the order forsuch service, and be forthwith entered upon the books of the PostOffice Department, and no additional compensation shall be paid forany extra regular service rendered before the issuing of such order, andthe making of such entry, and every order, entry, or memorandumwhatever, on which any action of the Department is to be had, allow-ance made, or money paid, and every contract, paper or obligationdrawn up in said office, by auy officer thereof, shall have affixed to it itstrue date : and every paper relating to contracts or allowances filed insaid office shall have the date of its filing endorsed thereon. Andwhenever itt shall become necessary to change the terms of any existingcontract in any other manner than that designated in this act, or toenter into a contract for the transportation of the mail at any other time

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Advertise-ments for con-tracts, and reg-ulations re-specting them.

Act of March3, 1845, ch. 43,sec. 18.