The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-05
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER


IN q6iee.-sI
PETER u. WAsHrNGToN, rr,,,,,
CHARLES M. WILLARD, ha'f0's ana frop''ef0rS'
Terms. -" The United STATES Postal Guide and
Qtcdl .ddrertiser" containing about 80 super-royai
octaro pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per a,lnum, payable in adpance-or fire
dollars for SIR copies ordered at amy one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
or which this paper is at once the sommencemen t,
and a sample of the papers that are to follow, has
Tor Its ann no less purpose, than to impart in
structon, IN the general and detail, to 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
izatlon, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partmens of their Government. There has hith-
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
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
| sructions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too 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 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 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, 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 o. personal interest or 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 Posl-Otice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
OF both poGtnasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. He en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously, had been, first in the War
Department, and subsequently, in the Treasury.
lie has therefore had the best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements OF business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry it on Since his official connection with
the Government ceused, he 1atters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
present ncumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms of Intercourse and cviity with
, them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduouay
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
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for mparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage
We have fixed upon the 18th Of oaoh month as
the day for the publication OF paper, so as tc
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or 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. 1t is a
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 are no longer in ope alton,
and Offices in operation which are not in the tables
AT this time there are perhaps over three thousand
| Offices Of the two desert ptohs. In like manner
laws have been passed and regulations established
since the issue Of the last volume Of regulations
| of which many posmasters 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 each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasers full and
exact information upon both sub jects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present misl,i-
reoton, remaling, 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 can estimate for himself
These nd yantapes alone and indie nd " IF II
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and will, 1t 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 ofiical duty national interest, will fld place
| in this paper.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
| merely to postmasters and other officers of the
| Government, but to all other citizens who give at
en,ion to the affairs OF the nation and the progress
and development of the country, will embrace in n
| condensed form the matters submitted to- or arts
| ing in Congress- AT each session II vast deal of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
grcss, by the several departments and their subor-
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 cor tents of these documents and re-
ports, except the brief notices Of them, which
from time to time appear in the public papers
The standing number printed Of each documen
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tves, which at once shows the impraccabiIity 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, but will furnish easy index
to those interested, whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t will be our Jealous care to collect and
arrange them in tho 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, comprehendng and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid useful
and Eve might almost say necessary to the Off
cer-,f not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any, Fiat the end of the year, any subscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value OF
his money, in intellectual enjoyment and in the
increased light and aid afforded him, for the dis