The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-09
THE g E1 b
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

| THE g E1 E
] UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
l.. - AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER. p .
rs TO shop irhai Is done, aId ohai should be done,
T. a Ia otfce.=ST a... ....E
PETER G.. WAsHrNGToN, U,J;,. p....,..
CHARLES M. WILLARD, G""orS ana froPrseo'S'
! TERMs. -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official 8drertiSer, containing about 80 super royal
Oetaro pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annanl, payable iil adraaee-or fire
dollars for sac copies ordered at any one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE. l
! The enterprise in which we now embark, and
OF which this paper is at once the commencement
and sample OF the papers that are to follow, has
| for Its ann no less purpose, than to impart in
structon, in the general and detail, to the Officers
and Agents ofthe 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 Governme nt. There has hth-
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, 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 voluminous
| and are printed in quantities too small for general
/
the commentaries of the press upon their proceed
ings, aud 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 III themselves AS far as they go, aud
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 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 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 was Audi
tor of the Post-Otfice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
Of both pos,masters and Contractors he has had
direct intercourse, i'll person or by letter He en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously, had been, first III the War
Department, ard subsequently in the Treasury
LIZ lHeIetOIe tHe pest opportunities lOT
understanding the arrangements Of business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry it 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 civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details Of the Post-Oiice 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 importing minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
We have fixed upon the 18th OF each month as
the day for the publication of paper, SO as tc
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, IRE issued by the Post Office Depart
| ment only once in two or three years. 1t is a
matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there are Of
fees in the tables which longer in ope, alton,
and Offices in operation which 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
|
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 be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections and modif-
cations, made 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 misG-
rection, remalling, 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, worth many times the price charge
for the paper, and will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels a just pride in his Office, or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office systen-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 10 thom. Notices of the decisions OF the
| Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty or national interest, will id place
! in this paper
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely to pogtnlasters and other officers of the
Government but to all other citizens who give at
tenon TO the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the country, will embrace in n
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or arts
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
ipr Of the contents 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 once shows the impracticability oil
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the oompend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish easy index
to those interested whenever II is found desirable
to Obtain and examine the document at large
There is ln:ge field before us, the materials are
smpie. 1t will be our Jealous care to collect and
arrange them in tho 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, comprehending and confined
to the action of the Government, is solid, usofu