The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-16
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER

IN lnJce.=SI
PETER G. WAsHrNGToN,
CHARLES NJ. WILLARD, Editors ana fr0p'7e'orS
TERMs. -" The United States Posia! Guide and
Official Adperfiser," containing about 30
octaro pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per dnn'tm, payable in adrancs-or fire
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
| Of which this paper is at once the commencement,
and a sample of the papers that to follow, has
for It's ann no less purpose, than to impart in
strucuon, 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
lzatlon, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government There has hth-
erto teen no vehicle for the reg llar 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 rs applied to particular cases, and Of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
structons ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, too voluminous,
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, nor if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
pies, for the despatch of the public business which
can render the discharge Of public duty either safe
or ensy, 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.
NnnII fhnF iinN fInn ,I he
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 east-apart from, and independently Of
any party or personal interest 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 Posl-Office Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both posmasters 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 latters 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 cvty with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduousIy
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
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for impartng minute and illustrative
structlon, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
We have fixed upon the 18th OF eacn month ns
the day for the publication Of our paper, so as t"
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, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. |, is
matter Of INCONVENIENCE and complaint, for which
| hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time of hese issues there are Of
| fees in the tables which are no longer in ope alton
and Offices in operation which are 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 postmasters 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 he made, our paper
will furnish the additions corrections, and modii-
cations, made IN each. month, and by being filed
and preser,e ed, will afford to postmasers full and
exact information upon both sui jects, up to and
for time being How much Of the present nDisdi-
recton, remaining, 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 inelIi-
gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, are worth many tines the price we charge
for the paper, and will, it ls hoped, iudlce every
alJn do 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, decisons, 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 farming upon questions
Of official duty or national interest, will find place
i'll this paper.
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely to nuatmaSters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
ention to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
aud development Of the country, will embrace in Il
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arls
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal Of
valuable Information is communicated to Con-
gress, by the eral 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 paper
The standing number printed of each documen
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate.
and fourteen hundred in the iousc Of Representa-
tves, which at once shows the impractcabty Of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abrdgments or analysts of all these
documents and reports, and the compenh 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 is large field befnre US, the materials are
ample 1t viii be our zeaious to collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence tina, 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 sohd useiu|
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the OFF,
cert not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all
and put nj 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
his money, in intellectual enjoyment and in the
increased light and aid afforded him, for the dis