The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-24
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

THE
/ UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
81 To shop ohai is done, anal ,oha should be done,
In etfee.sEI
PETER G. WAsHrsGToS, rE,...1 p..,,si.,....
CHARLES M. WILLARD, 1'''o'' a"" 'op''e'0''
! Terms. -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official .9dperiser," containing about 80 sperroyai
oeiaro pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annltm, payable in adrance-or fire
dollars for sir copies ordered at any time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which now embark, and
OF which this paper is at once the commencement,
and a sample of the papers that to follow, has
for ITS ann no less purpose, than TO impart in
struction, in the general and detail to the Officers
and Agents ofthe American public, in 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 hith-
erto Eecn no vehicle for the reg Ilar and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
tons, more or less comprehensive, aud at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, 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
structons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are voluminous,
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
of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only TO
party ends, and to matters Of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as they 60, 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
Piles, 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 an honest effort to supply
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities.
If we succeed in rendering the functions Of the
primary Offices more uniform, meihodical 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 question what
ever
1t Is known to most OF those to whom this pa
, per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor Of the Post-Ofice Department until the month
of November last with by far the larger portion
of both poslmasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person by letter. He en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously had been, first in the War
Department, ard subsequently in the Treasury.
He has therefore had the best opportunities for
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry il on Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
s becoming terms Of intercourse and cviity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
e engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
= sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
, daily routine and details Of the Post-Office 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 &C.
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative in
: structon, and valuable periodical and statistical
n information, that challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
= We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of our paper, tc
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or made
D by them during the preceding month. Tables o.
D Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
B Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart.
D ment only once in two or three years. 1t is u
! matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
D 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
and offices in operation which are not in tho tables
At this time there perhaps over three thousand
i offices Of the two descriptions. In like manner
. laws have been passed and regulations established
since the issue of the last volume OF regulations
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, pape,
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 msdi-
rection, remalling, 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 intelli-
gent postmaster 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
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 or national interest, will find place
III this paper.
department Of our paper addressing itself no,
merely to postmasters and other officers of the
Government but to all other citizens who give at
tention the affairs Of the nation and tho progress
and development Of the country. will embrace in a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arts
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal Of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress, by the several departments ana thelr suoor-
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 &C ntents Of these documents and re-
ports, except the brief notices of them, which
from time 10 time appear in the public papers
) The standing number printed Of coch document
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
,ives, which at once shows the lmpraccabIllty Of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
, therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, hut will furnish an easy index
to those interested whenever it is found desirable
to Obtain and examine the document at large.
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t Will be our jealous care to collect and
) arrnnge then, ~ the proper form We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable US to accomplish it all. The information
!, we propose to give, compromising and confined
to the action OF the Governments is solid, useful
and Eve might almost say necessary TO- the Off