The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-17
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE


in q6ice.@&T
PETER G. WAsHrNGToN, ru,., p;.,ou.
j CHARLES M. WILLARD, Ea'o'S ana frop''efo'S'
Terms. -" The United STATES Postal Guide and
Official .7dpertiSer, containing about 30 Super-royai
ocfaro pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per amman, payable in adrance-or yfre
dollars for sir copies ordered al any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
or which this paper is at once the commencement,
and sample of the papers that to follow, has
for its aim no less purpose, than to impart in
struction, in the general and detail, the Officers
and Agents of the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and to make them,
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
zation, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hth-
ero Leen vehicle for the reg liar 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
guate, 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 vouminous,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
ings, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
E of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves ony to
1 =
These publications in their various forms
highly 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, if they did,
, do they furnish those rules, Methods and exam
plies, for the despatch Of the public business which
can render the discharge of public duty either safe
or easy, whether in respect to the incumbent him.
self, or the department or bureau under which he
acts. We shall make honest effort to supply
this Vacuum and to provide for these necessities.
cnnI thaE t,H c.NT Tho
: primary Offices more uniform. methodicaI, and cx-
act, shall make the administrative duties Of the
departments more easy and effective, and thereby
D promote the real and substantial interests Of the
country And this we expect to do, to some ex-
= tent at east-apart from, and independently of
l. any party or personal interest or question what
ever.
. 1t is known to most OF those to whom this pa
: per will he sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
u tor Of the Post-Otfce Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
Of both poslmasers and Contractors he has had
{ direct intercourse, in person or by letter He
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
. many years previously, had been, first III the War
Department, al d subsequently in the Treasury.
lie has therefore had the best opportunities for
e understanding the arrangements Of business in all
II the departments and being acquainted with those
IS who carry on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
- becoming terms Of intercourse and clviIity with
n them ALL The Junior Editor has been aSssduousy
e engaged for several years, IN studying, by per
= sonal inquiry and examination the practical and
l. daily routine and details of the Post-Otce and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
e reaching the various sources of administrative
tion and for impartng minute and illustrative IN
:. struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
n information, that we challenge your confidence
a,Nur ,Iic,tp ,nrfa and ,atrn
J. We have fixed upon the 18th OF each month rs
the day for the publication of our paper, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
n by them during the preceding month. Tables of
n Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, issued by the Post Office Depart
= ment only in two three years. 1t is u
" matter Of Inconvenience and complaint, for which
a hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
~ month from the time Of these issues there are Of
~ fees in the tables which longer in ope alton,
n and Offices in operation which not in the tables.
N At this time there are perhaps over three thousand
NJ offices of the two descr pons. In like manner
N laws have been passed and regulations established
~ since the issue Of the last volume of regulations
V of which many postmasters and others are wholly
n ignorant. We propose to prevent, for the present,
my increase Of the evil of either kind, and from
the time another issue shall be made, paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and mOdif-
;. cations made in each month"; and by being filed
. exact information upon both subjects, up to and
u for time being. How much Of the present msGi-
U rection, remang, doubt, confusion, error, and
U imposition will be saved by the progressive state
u Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
" provided, and for which we engage every lntelIi-
" gent postmaster estimate for himself.
" These advantages alone and independently Of all
u others, are worth many times the price charge
u for the paper, and will, it is hoped, induce every
q postmaster who feels Just pride in his office, or
I'll f,rt ha craIi and
. efficiency of the whole Post Office systenl-at once
W 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 turning upon questions
Of official duty national interest, will find place
in this paper.
department Of our paper addressing itself not
10 merely to postmaSters and other officers Of the
10 Government, but to all other citizens who give at
NJ tenon to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
!, and development Of the country, will embrace in II
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arls-
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con
st cress by the several departments and their subor
j. dinate bureaus and profound and comprehensive
IN reports are made by committees of both Houses
st But the great mass Of the community know moth
ing Of the contents of these documents and re-
u ports, EXCEPT the brief notices of them, which
Sc The standing number printed Of each documen
y and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate
y and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
Il tives, which at once shows the impractcabty OF
II their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
10 tain short abridgments analysis Of all these
= documents and reports, and the compend will
'6 therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
81 instructive in itself, but will furnish an easy index
p To those interested, whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large
IF There is large field before u.s. the materials
Il, ample 1t will he Jealous care to collect and
Is arrange them in the proper form. We have every
is confidence that the subscriptions will be ample tc
enable us to accomplish it ALL The information
IS we propose to give, compromising and confined
70 to the action Of the Government, is sod usetu!
" and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
81 rer-lf not the citizen. 1t is intended for all
81 and put at price which can constitute obstacle
"a with any. Fiat the end Of the year, any subscriber
)6 shall find that he has not received the full value
= his money, in intellectual enjoyment and in the