The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-13
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.

To shop tchat is done, aud ohat should be done,
ia Q6ice.-ST
r, ~ X W. Editors and Proprietors.
TERMS -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official 4dpsrtscr," containing about 80 spper-royai
octapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per ann,sm, payable IN adranee--or jtre
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
lof which this paper is at once the commencement,
and sample of the papers that are to follow has
for its aim no less purpose, than to mpart In
struction, in the general and detail, to the Ohcers
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 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 instruc-
lions, more or less comprehensive, and al intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
uuate in the absence OF the construction Of those
Laws as applied to particular cases, and Of details
and illustrations to make the regulations ana IN
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too .oluminous
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 pohey
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as they go, ana
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 MN
self, or the department or bureau under which ne
1 l...ll la hama
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities.
| If we succeed in rendering the functions of the
| primary offices more uniform, mehodIcal, ana ex-
act, we shall make the administrative duties of the
departments more easy and effective, ana 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.
l 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-Otfice 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 lie en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously, had been, first in the War
Department, ard 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
tho carry it on. Since his official connection with
the government ceased he flatters himself he has
preser ed the respect and regard of most of the
10, essen ncumbents Of the departments, and is on
i u,,,rg terms of intercourse and civility with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonaf inquiry and examination, the practical and
, daily routine and details of the Post-Ohce and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
hs stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
i md In Of RI We n
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
Information, that we challenge your confidence
md solicit your support and patronage.
We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of our paper 80 as to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
Al, the orders, notices and changes issued, or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables of
i 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
| natter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
| hitherto there has been no remedy, TINT in one
month from the time of these issues, there are Of
ices in the tables which longer in ope alton,
and offices in operation which are not IN the tables.
At this time there perhaps over three thousand
,fices Of the two descriptions. In like manner
! avs have been passed and regulations established
since the issue of the last volume Of regulations,
| Of which many postniasters and others are wholly
gnorant. We propose TO prevent, for the present,
my increase of the evil of either kind, and from
| he 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 pos,mas,ers fun and
| .xact information upon both subjects, up to and
| or time being. How much of the present mIsd-
| 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 intel!i-
| rent postmaster estimate for himself.
| Cd, all nd rpde md tlv all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and will, it ~ 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 same course is intended IN
respect TO them. Notices of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
Of official duty or national interest, Will find place
| IN this paper.
| A department of our paper addressing itself not
merely 10 pustmasiers 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 {, untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arIs-
| ing in Congress AT each session vast deal of
valuable information is communicated to Con
gress, by the several departments and their subor-
dinae bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
| reports are made by committees OF both Houses.
But the great 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 in the public papers
The standing number printed Of each document
and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives, which at once shows the mpracticabllity OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER 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 it is found desirable
TO obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large field before us, the materials are
ample ID will he our 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, compreheuding and confined
TO tie action Of the Government, IN solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary TO the Off
cer-,f not to ths citizen, 1t is intended for all,
and put at price which constitute no obstacle
with any. Fiat the end Of the year, any subscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value Of