The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-15
To-. ." THE . .-'. ..a
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
IND OFFJcL9I 9DFEPTESEP

in 4tice..S1f
CHARLES M 1 W"Tsnp Editors and PrQprieiors
Terms -" The Lniied States Postal Guide and
Official adrerfiser" containing about 80 s,per-roual
oetaro pages, Is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per aintim, payable in adrancs--or fire
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 a sample of The papers that are to follow, has
Tor Its ann no less q purpose, than to mpart in
sruction, in the general and detail to the Officers
and Agents of the Amercan public, in respect both
to Their duties and their rights, and To make them,
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
lzaton, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith-
erto Teen no vehicle for the regular and propcr
communication of information Of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
lions, 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 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
OF the Government, besides turning mostly upon
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
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
sell, or the department or bureau under which he
acts. We shall make an honest effort to supply
this vacuum, and 10 provide for these necessities
Ii we succeed III rendering the functions of the
primary offices more uniform, methodcai, 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 60 do, to some eN-
| tent at least--apart from, and independently of
any party or personal interest or question what
ever.
1t IL known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Post Office 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 or 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
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 ilatters 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 cvity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been assslduousy
engaged for several years, IN studying, by per-
sonat inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofiice 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-
non, and for luparting minute and illustrative
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
| Information, that we challenge your confidence
aud solicit your support and patronage.
| We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of Our paper, so io
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. Ii Is II
matter of Inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there Of
fees in the tables which longer in ope alton
and Offices in operation which ure not in the tables
AT 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 regulations
of which many postnasters 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 modi-
cations, made In each month, and by being filed
and preserved will afford to postmusters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
! for time being. How much Of the present misdi-
rection, remailing, 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 intelll-
| gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels a just pride in his office, OF
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency OF the whole Post Office systenl--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 II
respect to them. Notices of the decisions Of thu
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon question:
of official duty or national interest, will find pac
in this paper.
A department of our paper addressing itself no
merely TO postnastcrs and other officers of thu
I Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tentiop TO the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the country, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris
ing in Congress- At each session vast deal o
valuable information is communicated 10 Con
gress, by the several departments and their subor
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports 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 pap RI
The standing number. printed Of each doc NON
and report, is only twelve hundred in the S., ale
, and fourteen hundred IN the House Of Represent..
tives, which at once shows the impracticability o
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con
tain short abridgments or analysts OF all thes
documents and reports, and the compend will
; therefore not only prove exceedingly useful ant
instructive in itself, but will furnish easy indie,
to those interested, whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large
n There is large field before us, the materials ar
ample 1t will be our Jealous care to collect ant
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample Il
enable us to accomplish it all. The information
we propose to give, compromising and confne
to the action Of the Government, is SOLID, usefu
,, 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 obstacI
with any. Fiat the end of the year. any subscribe
ca. Al. hah hos. fall n