The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-15
WASHINGTON CITY, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY Is, 1851.
THE
UNITED 0TATES POSTAL GUIDE
IND OFEYCL3L .ADYERTISER


THE
UNITED 8TATES POSTAL GUIDE,
Ind QFF7CLaL .ADvER User.
|I r 10 skAw ApASt . done, and whai should be done,
:. IN Office.
cMAa.ss NJ 1 Wmssso Editors and Proprislo
TEaMs. - The U,sted States Postal Guide aud
Official ddre'issr," containing about 80 srper-royai
ocfavo pages, Is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per aanum, payable IN aduance--or five
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one tinle
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 lesa purpose, than to mpart in
struction, 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 aud proper
communication Of information of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of lnstruc-
tons, more or less comprehensive, aud 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
,.nt Illustrations TO make The regulations and IN
structions Ineligible. The valuable dOcufnenis
annually reported to Congress, are too vouminous,
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 tho proceedings of the Executive branch
Of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
party ends, and to matters. Of national policy.
| These publications in their various forms
highly useful in themselves rs far as they go, and
some of them indispensable. but there il much
that do not reach the hands OF all, 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, methodical, and ex-
act, 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 be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Post-Office Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both pos,masters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. lie en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously had been, frstn 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 fatters himself he haa
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, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Otfice and
other branches of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages foi
reaching the various sources of administrative ac
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative In
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
I 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, 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. II is Il
| matter of inconvenience and complaints for which
hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there are Of
fees in the tables which no longer in ope alton
nnd 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 postmasters and others are wholly
| ignorant. We propose 10 preyent, 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 postn,asIers full and
exact information upon both subjects, up TO and
for time being How much Of the presen. misdi-
| rection, remaiing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive tate
Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided, and for which We engage, every intelli-
| gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently OF all
(, others, are worth many times the price charge
/ for the paper and will, il il hoped, induce every
| postmaster who feels just pride in his Office, or
a 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 aarne course is intended in
| respect 10 them. Notices Of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
OF Official duty or national interest, will 6hd place
in this paper.
/ A department Of our paper addressing itself NOT
I merely to puatrnasters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenton to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development Of the {, untry, will embrace in a
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or aris-
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-
I ports, except the brief notices of them, which
from time to time appear IN the public papers.
4 The standing number printed Of each document
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate.
4 and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
tves, which at once shows the mpracticabhy Of
their dissemination, The AnvERristR will con-
tain short abridgments 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 an easy index
to those interested, whenever II is found desirable
rs obtain and examine the document at large
Their. is large field before US, the materials are
ample. II will be our Jealous care 10 collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample 10
enable us to accomplish it all. The information