The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-30
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
and OFFICIAL .aDYER TTSER

To sho,o schat is done, and whai should be done,
In q6iee.=4H
csass, w. NJ w1 W Editors and Proprieors
TERMS. 80 The United States Postal Guide and
ieidt .4drertiser," containing about 30 srper-royal
oefauo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per Gnnun, payable in adranes-or fire
dollars for Sr copies ordered at any time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
| The enterprise in which we now sembark, and
OF which this paper is at once the commencement,
and sample of the papers that are to follow, has
for its 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
ization, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith-
erto Eeen 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
structons ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too youmnous,
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 they 60, and
some Of them indispensable; but there il much
that do not reach the hands Of ALL nor if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
ples for the despatch Of the public business which
can render the dischar 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, methodlcal, 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 east-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 Audi
tor of the Post Office 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. lie 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
preserved the respect and regard OF most Of the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
8 becoming terms Of intercourse and civility 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-Ofice 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 ac'
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative In
T.. struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
n information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
: We have fixed upon the 18th OF each month a
the day for the publication Of our paper. t.
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 in two or three years. II 10 a
= 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 Of
nd fees in the tables which no longer in ope alton
, and Offices in operation which not in the tables
Il At this time there perhaps over three thousand
y | offices Of the two descriptions. In like manner
y laws have been passed and regulations established
y 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 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 misd
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 inte
. gent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently of al
9th wnrfb M Va n q ar Ue
for the paper, and WILL it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his Office, OF
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
D Of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and interior
departments, and the same course ID intended il
respect to them. Notices Of the decisions Of tn,
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
D merely to postmasters and other officers of the
Governments but all other citizens who give at
sntion to the affairs OF the nation and the progress
and development of the untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or ars-
ing in Congress. At each session a 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 &C ntents 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 document
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate.
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives, which at shows the impractic" OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
RI arefora not only 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 is 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 us 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
ccr-If not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all,
and put at II price which can constitute obstacle
with any II at the end of the year any subscriber