The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-01
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
IND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER

~ tn 9Hce.~SU
CHARLES M. W mnanD' Editors and Proprietors.
TERms.-" The United States Postal G,,;d> and
Official ADVERTISER" containing about 80 sppsyyovnI
ocfauo pages, Is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annna, payable in aapance---or fine
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which now embark, and
OF which this paper is at once the commencement,
and a sample of the papers that to follow has
for its aim no less purpose, than To impart in
structon, 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
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith-
erto teen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the issue Of instruc
tons, more 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 in
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volumino,m
and are printed in quantities too small for general
crcuation 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
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, 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 east-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 postmasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. He
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
unders landing 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 faters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
presrnt 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-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 mpartIng 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, so as to
afford time for obtaining from the Dependencies
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, issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two three years. 1t 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 no longer in operation
and offices in operation which not in the tables
At this time there are 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 to 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 modi-
cauODS, maze III each nOntn, ana by Delng Hled
and preserved, will afford to postmasers full and
exnct information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present 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 intelli-
gent postmaster 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
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--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 course is intended in
respect to them. Notices Of the decisions of the
Supreme Court, in turning upon questions
of official duty or national interest, will find place
in this paptr.
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 c, untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress. AT each session deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress, by the several departments and their subov-
dinate bureaus, aud profound and comprehensive
reports 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 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-
tives, which at shows the impractlcabillty OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will
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 easy index
eted ub ia oirnhl 10
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, is solid useful,
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary to the Off
cer--lf not to the citizen. 1t is 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
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