In compliance with the act incorporating the said railroad company, a report of its transactions during the year ending December 31, 1874.

JANUARY 19, 1875.-Referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia and ordered to be printed.

OFFICE OF THE WASHINGTON AND
GEORGETOWN RAILROAD COMPANY,

101 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, Washington, D. C., January 18, 1875.

SIR: In compliance with section 16 of the "Act incorporating the Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company," I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of the transactions of said company during the year ending December 31, 1874.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE,

HENRY HURT,

President.

Speaker House of Representatives.

Annual report of the receipts and expenditures of the Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company, for the year ending December 31, 1874.

2d Session. S

No. 43.

ENGRAVING AND PRINTING OFFICIAL STAMPS.

LETTER

FROM THE

ACTING THIRD ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL,

TO HON. SAMUEL J. RANDALL,

RELATIVE TO

The engraving and printing of official stamps.

JANUARY 20, 1875.-Referred to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads and ordered to be printed.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THIRD ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL,

Washington, D. C., January 19, 1875. SIR: In accordance with the request of the sub committee of which you are chairman, I herewith respectfully transmit copies of the followinging named papers:

Agreement with the Continental Bank-Note Company, dated January 25, 1873, for the manufacture of ordinary postage stamps.

Bill of Continental Bank-Note Company for manufacturing plates for official stamps.

Petition of Continental Bank-Note Company for compensation for manufacturing plates for official stamps, and for printing and distributing said stamps.

Affidavit of Charles F. Steel, and indorsement of Postmaster-General thereon, referring matter to Assistant Attorney-General for his opinion. Opinion of Assistant Attorney-General.

Letter of Postmaster-General appointing committee to investigate the claim and make award.

Report of committee, with indorsement of Postmaster-General approving same, and ordering payment in accordance therewith. Memorandum of bed-pieces, &c.

Voucher for payment to Continental Bank-Note Company.

Agreement with Continental Bank Note Company, dated August 27, 1874, for manufacture of official postage-stamps.

Respectfully,

Hon. SAMUEL J. RANDALL,

Of Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads,
House of Representatives.

This agreement, made this twenty-fifth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, (1873,) between the United States of America, by John A. J. Creswell, Postmaster General, of the first part, and the Continental Bank-Note Company, of the city of New York, by Homer H. Stuart, president thereof, of the second part, witnesseth:

That whereas the Postmaster-General caused to be published in certain newspapers within the United States an advertisement, bearing date the twelfth day of December, 1872, inviting proposals for furnishing adhesive postage-stamps, which advertisement is in words and figures as follows, to wit:

"PROPOSALS FOR ADHESIVE POSTAGE-STAMPS.

"POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, December 12, 1872. "Sealed proposals are invited from steel-plate engravers and plate-printers, and will be received at this Department until 12 o'clock m. on Friday, the tenth day of January, 1873, for furnishing postage-stamps for a term of four years, commencing on the first (1st) day of May, 1873.

"QUALTITY OF STAMPS.

The stamps must be furnished, subject to the approval of the Department, from steel plates engraved in the highest style of the art of steel-engraving, and printed in such colors as may be selected by the Department, in the best and most approved manner, equal in every respect to the stamps now in use, upon paper of the best quality suitable for the purpose, thoroughly gummed with the best quality of adhesive gum, perforated in such manner that each separate stamp can be readily detached and used, the sheets to be well pressed and packed so as to prevent them from adhering to each other; the same to be furnished, with all reasonable dispatch, in such quantities as may be ordered by the Department to fill the separate daily requisitions of postmasters and postal agents.

66 STOCK ON HAND.

"The contractors shall at all times keep on hand a stock of the several denominations of stamps, subject to the control of the agent of the Department in all stages of manufacture, sufficient to meet all orders of the Department and to provide against any and all contingencies that may be likely to occur during the existence of the contract, so that each and every order of the Department may be promptly filled; and the Department shall have the right to require the contractor, at any time during the existence of the contract, to furnish an extra quantity of stamps not exceeding a supply for three months.

"PACKING.

"Stamps to be transmitted by sea routes must be securely packed in hermeticallysealed tin cases, wrapped in strong manila paper; all others must either be packed in strong binder's board boxes, bound on the edges and corners with muslin and enveloped in two thicknesses of strong manila paper, or inclosed in strong mauila envel opes, as the quantity to be transmitted may require; all packages to be so inclosed as to enable the agent of the Department to officially seal them.

"BLANKS.

"In addition, the contractor will be required to furnish labels, and direct the same, for each package, in accordance with the daily lists furnished by the agent of the Department, together with all other blanks required to be inclosed with the stamps; also, all blanks for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly returns relating to the number and denominations of stamps furnished.

"ESTIMATE OF QUANTITY REQUIRED.

"The number of stamps issued and to be issued during the four years embraced by the present contract is estimated to be two billion ninety-four million, the average yearly increase being eight forty-hundredths per cent.

"For the next four years it is estimated, at the same ratio of annual increase, two billion eight hundred and eighty-three million stamps will be required.

It must be understood, however, that proposals made under this advertisement shall include all the stamps needed by the Department during the contract-term, without reference to the above estimates, which are here given only for the information and guidance of bidders.

"DELIVERY.

"The stamps may be required to be delivered by the contractor in separate packages, as above provided for, at the post-office in the place where the same are manufactured, or in such quantities at the Post-Office Department, Washington, D. C., (each denomination being kept separate,) as the Postmaster-General may direct.

66 'DIES, ROLLS, AND PLATES.

"The dies, rolls, and plates from which postage-stamps are now printed, being the property of the United States, will be placed in the keeping and custody of the contractor on the 1st day of April, 1873, the same to be held subject to the order and control of the Department, as hereinafter provided, and the contractor will be required from said dies, rolls, and plates, and from such rolls and plates as may be necessary to be reproduced from the original dies, to have on hand, ready for issue, on the day the contract-term commences, a sufficient stock of stamps, of the several denominations required, to fill the current daily requisitions from the Department, without hinderance or delay.

The contractor will be further required to keep in repair all dies, rolls, and plates from which stamps may be printed, and to renew the same whenever required; and should new designs be required at any time, to take the place of the present series of stamps, or of any of them, or for denominations of stamps not now in use, the same shall be furnished and engraved, subject to the approval of the Postmaster-General, upon his request, within a reasonable time, all which shall be done and executed in the best style of steel engraving by the contractor, and at his own expense. All dies, rolls, and plates made or used at any time in filling the contract shall be the absolute property of the United States, and shall be delivered, in good working-order, to the Postmaster-General, or his authorized agent, whenever demanded.

"BUILDING, PLACE OF MANUFACTURE, ETC.

The stamps will be required to be manufactured in a fire-proof building, and in separate apartments, distinct from those in which any other work is done by the contractor, and when finished must be placed in a fire and burglar proof safe or vault, to be specially provided for that purpose, and said apartments and safe or vault shall at all times be subject to the inspection of an agent of the Department.

66 REPORTS.

"The contractor will be required to report weekly, under oath, the number of stamps manufactured, (finished, unfinished, and spoiled,) the number issued during the week, and the number available for issue; all spoiled stamps to be destroyed by the agent of the Department in the presence of the contractor or his representative.

"STAMP-AGENT.

"An agent of the Department will have supervision of the manufacture, storage, and issne of the stamps, who shall at all times have full and free access to the apartments, safes, and vaults where the stamps are manufactured and stored, for the purpose of inspecting the same; and the contractor shall furnish him and his clerks suitable office and desk room for the transaction of the business of his agency, without cost to the Government.

"CONTRACT NOT ASSIGNABLE.

"The contract cannot, in any case, be lawfully transferred or assigned.

"RESERVATIONS.

"The Postmaster-General reserves the right to reject any and all bids if, in his judgment, the interests of the Government require it; also the right to annul the contract if, in his opinion, there shall be a failure at any time to perform faithfully any of its stipalations, or in case of a willful attempt to impose upon the Department stamps inferior to those now in use.

"PAYMENTS.

"Payment; for stamps actually issued and delivered will be made quarterly, after proper examination and adjustment of accounts.

"Within ten days after the contract has been awarded, the successful bidder shall enter into an agreement, in writing, with the Postmaster-General to faithfully observe and keep the terms, conditions, and requirements set forth in this advertisement, according to their true intent and meaning, and shall make, execute, and deliver, subject to the approval and acceptance of the Postmaster-General, bonds with good and sufficient sureties in the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) as a forfeiture for the faithful performance of said agreement or contract, according to the provisions and subject to the liabilities of the seventeenth section of an act of Congress entitled 'An act legalizing and making appropriations for such necessary objects as have been usually included in the general appropriation-bills without authority of law, and to fix and provide for certain incidental expenses of the departments and offices of the Government, and for other purposes,' (United States Statutes at Large, volume 5, page 526,)