The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-01
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
.INO OEEICL1L .ADYERTISER

| .i.ND OFFlCI.fL .dDVERIISER.
10 shou Whaf Is doae aud that should be done,
IN Qtice.-5U
PETER u WAsHrNGToN, p,:,.. = p,...,....
CHARLES M. WILLARD, ( I"'o's wv" 'oP''e'0'S'
TERMS. =" The United States Postal Guide and
CUtc,a fdpertiser, containing about 80 spperroyal
oetaro pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annua, payable in adrance-or Jiue
dollars for sir copies ordered at any time,
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
| 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 it's aim no less purpose, than to lmpart 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
izatlon, decisions and action of the Executive de-
lpartments of their Government. There has hith-
erto Teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of nstruc-
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, as 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 volumlnous,
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
ples 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 succeed in rendering the functions of the
: primary offices more uniform, methodical, and ex
act we shall make the administrative duties of the
n departments more easy and effective, and thereby
q promote the real and substantial interests of the
country. And this expect to do to some eX-
J. tent at least--apart from, and independently Of
y any party or personal interest or question what
ever
! 1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
l. per will be sent, that the Senior Editor Audi
II tor of the Post-Oice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
e of both postmasters and contractors, he has had
70 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
&c Department, and subsequently in the Treasury.
He has therefore had the best opportunities for
re understanding the arrangements OF business in all
1t the departments, and being acquainted with those
is who carry II on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he flatters himself he has
: preserved the respect and regard of most of the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
Is becoming terms of intercourse and cIvty with
m them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduousy
De engaged for several years, IN studying, by per
e. sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
4 daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
other branches of the public. business. Ii il with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages fol-
ne reaching the various sources of administrative
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative in
I'D Ia iicaI ic,l
m information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
IL We have fixed upon the 18th OF each month as
the day for the publication of our paper, so to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the ORDERS notices and changes issued or made
n by them during the preceding month. Tables of
NJ Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws and
NJ Regulations are issued by the Post Office Depart
N ment only once in two or three years, 1t is a
M matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
M hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
NJ month from the time Of these issues there are of
M fees in the tables which longer in ope alton,
N and Offices in operation which not in the tables
NJ At this time there perhaps three thousand
~ offices of the two descriptions. In like manner
,oo laws have been passed and regulations established
NJ since the issue of the last volume Of regulations
7 of which many postmasters and others are wholly
M ignorant. We propose TO prevent, for the present
" any increase of tho 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 postmasers full and
- exact information upon both subjects, up to and
W for time being. How much of the presen, misdi-
" rection, remaing, doubt, confusion, error, and
" imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
" Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
W provided, and for which we engage, every nelli-
~ gent postmaster can estimate for himself
W These advantages alone and independently of all
" others, worth many times the price we charge
" for the paper, and will, II is hoped, induce every
D postmaster who feels Just pride in his Office or
y patriotic regard for the credit prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--at once
y to subscribe, The same considerations apply to
$ the orders and notices, decisons, and instructions
" Of the War; Navy, Treasury Estate, and Interior
= departments, and the same course is intended in
respect to them. Notices of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questiqas
of official duty national interest," will find place
in this rape.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
~ merely 10 postmasters and other officers Of the
70 Government but to all other citizens who give at
70 ention the affairs Of the nation and the progress
n and development Of the q untry will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted 10, cor nrs5
ing in Congress, At each session a vast deal of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress by the severa departments and their subor-
/ dipate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
n reports are made by committees of both Houses.
Il 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
6 from time to time appear in the public papers
. The standing number printed of each document
Z and report is only twelve hundred in the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives, which at elbows the mpractioability OF
their dissemination, The ADVERTISER will con-
D tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
8 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 a large field before us, the materials arc
=, ample. Ii will be Jealous TO collect and
$ arrange tbeminthe 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, useful,
and 1--WE 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 no obstacle
with any Fiat the end of the year ,any subscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value of