The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-20
THE
UNITED STATES Postal GUIDE
IND OFFICIAL .aDHERTLSER

I THE
1 UNITED STATES Postal GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
IL To Shoic ,chat is done, aud phat should be done
In 9dfee.s4H -
cT4n1n. NJ Wmnsro' Editor, and rroprietors
Terms. -" The United States Postal Guide ana
Official ADVERTISER" containing about 30 s,per-roya
oefapo pages, Is published monthly for ONE Dol.
LAR ONLY, per aanum, payable in adrance-or ,fp,
dollars for sic copies ordered al any one time.
| PREPARATORY NOTICE.
\ ihe enterprise IN which we now embark, and
| or which this paper is at the commencement,
and sample of the papers that are to follow, has
Tor Its aim no less purpose, than TO impart in
strucuon, IN the general and detail to the Officers
and Agents of the American public lin respect both
to their duties and their rights, and TO make them,
and the people at large acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hth-
erto Teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
tons, more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
9uate, IN the absence Of the construction of those
Laws, as applied to particular cases, and of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
structions ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported TO Congress, are too voluminous,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
the commentaries of the press upon their proceed
ings, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
OF the Government, besides turning mostly upon
genera! principles, address themselves only to
party ends, and to matters Of national policy
These publications in their various forms are
highiy useful IN themselves as far as they go, and
some of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of all nor if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
Piles, for the despatch Of epublic business which
can render the discharge of public duty either safe
or easy, whether in respect 10 the incumbent hinn-
self, or the departmental bureau under which he
acts. We shall make an honest effort to supply
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities
II we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary Offices more uniform, mehodcal, and ex-
act, we shall make the administrative duties of the
departments more easy and effective, and thereby
promote the real and substantial interests Of the
country. And this we expect to do, to some ex-
tent at least-apart from, and independently OF
any party or personal interest or question what
ever. ..,..l ~ -...... ..5t ..... q ...... .
IL IS known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Post-Ofiice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
OF both pospnasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, IN person or by letter. H en-
tered the department fourteen years SINCE and for
many years previously, had been, first in the War
Department, ard subsequently in the Treasury.
understanding the arrangements Of business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry IL on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he laltera himself he has
preserved the respect and regard of most Of the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms of intercourse and ciyility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sona inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post Office and
other branches Of the public business. Ii ID with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative in
structon and valuable periodical and statistical
Information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your aupport and patronage.
We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication Of our paper, so as to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
by them during the preceding month. Tables of
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are ISSUED by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. IL is
matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there are Of
fees in the tables which no longer in ope alton,
and offices in operation which are not in the tables.
Al this time there perhaps over three thousand
offices Of the two descriptions. In like manner
laws have been passed and regulations established
since the issue of the last volume OF reguIations
of which many postmasters and others are wholly
ignorant. We propose to prevent, for the present,
any increase Of the evil of either kind, and from
the time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modif
cations, made IN each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present m isC-
rection, remang, doubt, confusion, error and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided, and for which we engage, every intel-
gent postmaster can estimate for HIMSELF
These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and will. it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his office, or
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--at once
to subscribe. The same considerations apply to
the orders and notices, decisions, and instructions
Of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interior
departments, and the same course is intended in
respect to them. Notices of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
Of official duty national interest, will ind place
i'll this paper,
A department Of our paper addressing itself moi
merely to pustmasters and other officers of the
Government, bpt to all other citizens who give at
ention to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development ofthe country, will embrace in
condensed form the matters Submitted to, or arts
valuable Information ia communicated to Con.
gress, by the several depertmen.s s"d ,ttir "NSo'
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports are made by committees of both Houses.
But the great mass Of the community know moth
ing Of the CO ntents of these documents ana re-
ports, except the brief notices of them, which
from time TO time appear in the public pap'rs.
The standing number printed Of each doc nent
and report, is only twelve hundred in the ST. ate,
and fourteen hundred in the douse Of Representa-
tves, which at once shows the impracticabil'ty of
Ih er ASSsys q S XII sese
documents and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish an easy index
to those interested whenever it is found desirabl,
to obtain and examine the document at large
There is large field before ns, the materials art
annie. II VIII be our jealous care to collect AM
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample t.
enaLle us to accomplish it all, The information
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, usefu,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the off
a.. az ro, tho citizen. intended for all