The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-15
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL .aDyERTYSER.


IN Q0ics.-& 4}.s
rETER u WAsHrNoroN,( p,,,.,n
M. WILLARD, Editors and Proprietor.
IEahs. -" The United States Postal Gsjltsaa
nesai Sddpersi,ev," containing about 80 sppsr-roysS
oc'eoo pages - published monihIy Jbr oHR DOL
LAn ONLY per sn"up', payable IN aapanes--or fee
d0"a's Jor Str copies ordered at any 0ps HnS.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper is at once the commencement,
for its aim no less purpose, than to impart in
structon in the general and detail. to the OfEcsr,
and Agents ftbe American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rghte, and to make them,
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
ization, decision. and action of the Executive de-
erto teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
Of informatiop Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of instruc
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 i'm
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, ARE too vOlumnous
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
The commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
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 60, and
some Of them Indispensable; but there il 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 safe
or cosy, 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.
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-Ofice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
Of both postn,asters and contractors, he has had
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
Department, and subsequently in the Treasury.
lie has therefore had the best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements OF business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry il on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he 1atters 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 civty with
them ALL The Junior Editor has been aassduousy
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative
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.
We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of our paper no as to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued made
by them during the preceding month Tables o.
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only. once in two or three years: IL Isl
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 no longer in operation
and Offices in operation which not in the tables
At this time there are 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 postmasters and others 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
VIII furnish the dQuluOns, cOrreCtOns, ana mOuIn-
cations, made In each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasters fun and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the presen. msdi-
rection, remaiing, 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 inteHi
gent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his office, or
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 national interest, will find place
in this palNr.
department of our paper addressing itself not
merely to postn,asters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenon 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-
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports are made by committees of both Houses.
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 docume
and report is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House of Representa-
tves, which at once shows the impracticability Of
their dissemination. The ApvERrIsER will con-
tain 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 it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t will be 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, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, i solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary 70 the Off
cer-if not to the citizen. lis intended for all,
and put at 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