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

AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
H. To ShoU tcha Is done, and chai should be done,
in eGice.sEI
cn.R.Hs NJ W"HarO' Editors and Proprietors.
TERMS. -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official ADVERTISER" containing about 30 super royal
ocfauo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per dnnum, payable in adpance--or fire
dollars for sic copies ordered at any one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
or which this paper is at once the commencement It,
ana sample Of the papers that are TO follow, has
Tor It's aim 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
lzation, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments OF their Government. There has hth-
erto Leon no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
tions 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
structions Ineligible The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voumnous,
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 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
sail IN ant n,,.an IL. l.
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, methodcal, 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.
1t Is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the PostOffice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both postmasters 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
| He 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 ceased, he llatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most Of the
present incumbents Of the departments, and ia on
becoming terms of intercourse and civty with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Otiice and
other branches Of the public business 1t is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
| ching the If M m ST ot
ton, and for lmpartlng minute and illustrative in
sruction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we 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, 80 as to
afford time for attaining from the departments,
ali the prders, 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 OIlce Depart
Inent only once III two or three years. Ii is Il
matter Of Inconvenience and complaint, for which
| hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time Of these issues, there are Of
| fees in the tables which arc no longer in ope alton
and Offices in operation which not in the tables
AT this time there are 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 regulations
| Of which many postnlasers and others 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 posnasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present mSdi-
reCtlon, remaining, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
Of full and enact knowledge, for which we have
provided ard Tor which we engage, every intelIi-
gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently of all
others, are worth many times the price 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, aud the same course is intended in
respect to then. Notices Of the decisions of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, will find place
in this paper.
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
| merely to pUstmasters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tention the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the country, will embrace in
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 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 contents 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-
tives, which at once shows the impractcabiIity 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 an easy index
to those interested, whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
There 10 large field before us, the materials are
ample. Ii will be our Jealous care to collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample TO
enable W to accomplish it all. The information
we propose to give, compromising and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cer-if 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