The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-27
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.

In
PETER G. WASHINGTON, lpu,.,p..,
Trans" The United States Postal Guide and
Official .9dpertiser, containing about 80 srpsr-roya
loefapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per amman, payable in adpancs--or fpe
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
u The enterprise in which we now iembark, 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 hih-
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 inade-
lquate, in the absence Of the construction OF those
Laws, applied to particular cases, and of details
and illustrations 20 make the regulations and in
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volumnous,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
lngs, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
OF the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
marty ends, and to matters of national policy.
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, 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, methodical, 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-apurt 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 Office Department until the month
of November hast; 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
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 ceased, he hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
s becoming terms of intercourse and civility with
n them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduousy
Q 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
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
n information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
y We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of our paper, so az to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices andchanges 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 a
matter Of Inconvenience and complaint, for which
4 hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time Of these issues, there are Of
fees in the tables which no longer in operation,
and offices in operation which not in the tables.
At this time there perhaps 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 postmasers and others IRE 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 postmastcrs full and
exact information upon both sub ects, up to and
for time being. How much of the presen, nis-
rection, remaillng, 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 all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
J 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, and the same course is intended in
respect to them. Notices of the decisions Of the
Supreme CUut, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty or national interest, will find place
in this paper.
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
} merely to pusmasters 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 {, untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
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 made by committees of both Houses.
But the great mass Of the community know moth
ing of the contents of these documents and
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 impraclicabiIity 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 ia found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t will be Jealous care to collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable to accomplish it all. The information
we propose to give, compromising and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful,
and Eve might almost say necessary to the Off
cer-lf not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all,
and put at a price which can constitute obstacle
with any. Fiat the end Of the year, any subscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value Of
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