The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-04
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICL9L .gDvERTysrp

n - IN 9giee.ss-H
CnARLrs M. Wm.,sn' Editors and Proprietors.
TERMS -" The United States Postal f;,,;a, and
Official .7duertser" containing about a. s,o,r.rog,I
octaro pages, IS published n,oathiu s,r as, noY
LAR ONLY, per anauan, payable in adpaaes-or FIRE
do"aTs Jor stI copies ordered at any one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now embark. AMI
OF which this paper il at once the commencemert
and sample of the papers that are to follow fas
for It's aim no less a purpose, than to impart iu-
struction, in the general and detail to the Officer
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
zation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith
ero Leen vehicle for the regular aud 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, MS applied to particular cases, and of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
sructons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voIuminots
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 10
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
pies, for the despatch of the public business which
can render the discharge of public duty either snfs
or easy, whether In respect to the incumbent him-
self, the department 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 en-
act, shall make the administrative duties of the
departments more easy and effective, and hereby
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 Posl-Otlice 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 or 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 fatters 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, the practical and
! daily routine and details of the Post-Oiiice 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-
tion, and for imparting minute and Illustrative in
structioD, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that 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 To
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or mad
by them during the preceding month. Tables
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
Regulations are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once IN two three years IL is a
matter Of inconvenience and complaint 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 longer IN peialion
and offices IN operation which not in the tables
| AT this time there perhaps 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 postpasters and others are 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 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
for time being. How much of the presen, misdi-
rection, remailing, 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 intelIi-
gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, worth many times the price w charge
| for the paper, and will, it is hoped induce every
postmaster who feels jus, pride in his Office or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity and
efficiency OF the whole Post Office ystem--at once
to subscribe. The considerations apply to
the orders and notices, decisions, and Instructions
of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interior
departments, and the same is intended in
respect to them. Notices Of the decisions of the
Supreme Court in cases turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, will find place
! IN this pairr.
department of our paper addressing itself not
merely to postmasters and other officers of the
nment, but to all other citizens who give at
tenton the affairs of the nation and the progress
and development of the untry, will embrace ina
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or aris-
ING i'm Congress- At each session 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 TO time appear the public papers.
The standing number printed of each docume
and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
/ tives which mt once shows the mpracticability Of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tam short abrdgments 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 il is found Desirable
TO obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large field before US, the materials are
ample IL will be our jealous 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 tie action Of the Government, is solid, useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cer---lf not to the citizen. Ii is intended for ALL
and put at a price which can constitute no obstacle
with any III at the end Of the wear anv subscriber