The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-19
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICLAL .4DHERTISER

Ir To shotc chat is DONE and tuhai should be DONE
in 4tfee.e&Is
C Letter ~ ~H W"S Editors and Proprietors
TERMS. &c The United States Postal Guide and
Official .9drertiser, containing about 80 super royal
Octapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per dnnun, payable in adrance-or fire
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which now embark, 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
struction, 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-
partments of their Government There has hlth-
erto Teen vehicle for the reg Iar 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, 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 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
general principles, address themscly cs only 10
party ends, and to matters Of national policy
| These publications. IN their various forms are
highly useful in themselves far as they 60, 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
pies, for the despatch of the public business which
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
acIr No hall la mn hnp Fort fo ,,r,lx.
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, 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 eA
tent at least--apart from, and independently Of
amy 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 POST f1ce 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, 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 incumbenta of the departments, and is on
becoming terms Of intercourse and civility will,
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per
sona inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details Of the Post-Oihre and
other branches Of the public business 1t il with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative &C.
and for n mi md lin iye
= structon, and valuable periodical and statistical
! information, that 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, so ~ 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, issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. 1t is n
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 no longer in 0pe alton
and Offices in operation which not in the tables
AT this time there are perhaps over three thousand
Offices Of the two descri ptions. 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 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 nodif.
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 msCi-
rection, remung, 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 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 ust pride in his Office or
Il patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at once
to subscribe. The 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 national interest, will find pac
in this paper.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
merely to postmus,ers 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 q
condensed form the matters submitted to- aris-
! ing in Congress. At each session vast deal of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress, by the several departments and their subor-
dnate 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 nents 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 Senat.
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-.
tives, which at once shows the mpracticabty Of
| their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
! documents and reports, and the commend wr
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 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
cer--lf 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 fud that he has not received the full value of