The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-26
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
and OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
* TO shov schat Is done, and tohat should be done
T, ssa nJ1~. E-vG

and OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
w 10 sAes1 Whs Is done, and What should Be done,
| in Office. -kU
caAal.. M 1 Wrss.o Editor, and Preprslor,.
TERM.. -" The United States Postal Guide aud
csaI .4dvertissr, eOstsining aboui 81 svpsr-royai
ocfaro pages, i pubIished monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per amnum, payable in sdrsncs--or five
| PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper 10 at once the commencement,
and sample of the papers that are TO follow, has
for It's aim no less purpose, than 70 impart in
struction. in the general and detail to the Officers
and Agents of the American public, in respect both
10 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 hith-
erto teen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
tons, or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence uf the construction Of those
Laws as 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 voluminous
and 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
party ends. and to matters Of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far an 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 mr. the dem rtnlenf bureau under which he
acts. We shall make an honest effort TO supply
this vacuum, and 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-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 he aent that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Post-Otfce 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 en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously, had been, first in the War
Department, and 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 hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
i present incumbents of the departments, and is
becoming terms Of intercourse and civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduousy
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonaI inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
other branches OF the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
hinr the of M ira i've
ton, and for impartng minute and Illustrative in
/ structOn, and valuable periodical and statistical
| information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit yaur support and patronage.
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 and changes issued, 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. 1t is
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 ope aton
and Offices in operation which are not in tho tables
At this time there are perhapa 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 wholly
ignorant. We propose 10 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 modi6-
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 presen. msdi-
| rection, 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 intelli-
estar iooaf 10 for h,moelf
These advantages alone and Independently Of all
others, are worth many t,mes the price we charge
for the paper, snd will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster VINO feels just pride in his office, or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system-al once
| to subscribe. The same considerations apply to
the orders and notices, deosions, and instructions
OF the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interior
departments, aud the aame course il intended In
respect 10 them. Notices Of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, In cases turning upon questions
Of official duty national interest, will find place
| in this paper.
| A department Of our paper addressing itself not
| merely to postmasters and u,her 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 {, untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted 10, or ars-
| ing in Congress. At each session a vast deal Of
valuable information il communicated to Con-
gress, by the several departments and their snbor-
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
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, il only twelve hundred in the Senate,
| and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives, which ut once shows the impractoablity OF
their dissemination. The ApvERrssER will con-
tain short abridgmsnts or analysis of all these
documensa and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly usef, and
instructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
TO those interested whenever il is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large asld before us, the materials are
annie. 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 us to accomplish it all. The information
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, il solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary to the Off
cer--,f not 10 the citizen. II is intended for all,
and put at price which can constitute obstacle
a.. q ,Ln TO-