The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-06
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL q UIDE.
IND OFFICIAL .aDVERTTNER


70 skssc whst is aose ssd .shat should be done
il Office. =4T
PETEa q. WAsHrN0ToN, III,
CHARisAs M WILLARD, A>a"0's a"u 'op''e'o's'
TERMS. -" TIE United States Postal G,side and
Official .adsertser," containing about 81 ssper-roya
Lar ONLY, per a,ssssnt, poySkle IN adpance-or fire
desssfs for sig COPIES ordered ~ any one t;ws.
.PREPARATORY NOTICE. "A
| The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper Is ut the commencement.
and sample of the papers that are to follow, hns
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 then,,
and the people at large acquainted with the organ
zation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith-
crto teen no vehicle for the regular aud proper
accommodation Of information OF this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of instruc-
Itions 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 applied TO particular cases, and OF details
and illustrations TO make the regulations and in
structions ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported TO Congress, too voluminous,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debutes in Congress and
the commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
ings, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
Il
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 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
Piles, for the despatch Of the public business which
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
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. Hh
II is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Posl-Ofice Department unit, 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. He 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
the Government ceased, he natters 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 ciyility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
e engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
: sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
, daily routine and details of the Post-Office and
other branches Of the public business. Ii is with
this stock OF experience and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative IN
structon, and valuable periodical and statistical
\ Information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage
We have fixed upon the 10th Of each month as
the day for the publication of our paper so ms to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
ali the ORDERS notices and changes issued, made
, by them during the preceding month. Tables Of
Post Offices, aud compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. II is a
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 longer IN opc alton,
and Offices in operation which not in the tables.
At this time there perhaps over three thousand
offices Of tue 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 TO prevent, for the present,
the time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modi-
cations, made IN each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postnasters full and
!, exact information upon both subjects, up TO and
!, for time being. How much Of the presen, rnisdi-
Il rection, remang, 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 intei-
gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
II These advantages aone and independently of all
others, are worth many times the price charge
for the paper, and will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his Office, or
la patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
!, efficiency of the whole Post Office sysem-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 lnper.
:, A department Of our paper addressing itself not
!, merely to postmasters 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 n
cond ensed 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-
. 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 documenI
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the douse of Representa-
tives, which at once shows the impracticabiity Of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
J, therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
to those interested, whenever il ia found desirable
, 10 obtain aud examine the document at large,
There is n large field before w, the materials
ample II will be our Jealous to collect and
arrange them id the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions Will be ample 10
enable us TO accomplish it all. The information
} We propose TO give, comprchending and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary TO the Off
cer-,f not to the citizen. II is intended for all,
aud nut at u price which can constitute no obstacle