The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-21
....... THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

SS HtVtV uOfe, anu tCHd[ should De done
in eGfce.ssK
PETER G. WAsHrNeToN, ) -.
CHARLES NJ. WmLAap, Editors and Proprietors
TERas.--" The United States Postal Guide ana
CDsciai 7dperfiser containing about - super-roya
octaro pages, IS published monthly for ONE DOL,
Ian ONLY per AMMAN, payable in adratee-or fire
dollars Jor sir copies ordered al any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE. "
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
or which this paper is at once the eommenceme
ana sample of the papers that are to follow, has
Tor Its ann 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 hth-
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 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
cIrculaton; 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
party ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
| highly useful IN themselves as far as they CO. 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
! Ii we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary offices more uniform, methodcal, 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 expect to do, to some ex-
tent at least-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-O 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 by letter. He ell
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 arrang ements of business i'll all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry 1t 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
becoming terms of intercourse and civility with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, tire practical and
daily routine and details of the Pos-Off 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 in
valnnhle nAriO1ICa1 ats al
information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
| We have fix ed upon the 18th Of each month as
| the day for the publication of paper, so az to
| 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 ia Il
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 no longer in peraton
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
since the issue of the last volume Of regulations,
of which many postmasers 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 poatmastera full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much of the present misdi-
recton, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
OF full and exact knowledge, fcs which we have
provided, and for which we engage, every intelIi-
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 ust 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
Sppreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
Of official duty national interest, will find place
i'll this paper.
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
! merely 10 postmasters and other officers of the
| Government but to all other citizens who give at
tention to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development Of the country, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, arts
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 contents of these documents and re-
ports, except the brief notices of them, which
from time 10 time appear in the public papers.
The standing number printed of each doct MI mt
and report, is only twelve hundred in the SCI ate,
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives which at once shows the impracticabiIlty Of
their dissemination. The ApvERTIsER will con-
tain short sbrdgments 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 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 care to collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
to tie action Of the Government, is solid useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cer-f not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all,
and put ut price which can constitute obstacle
with snv IL at the end of the wear, any subscriber