The southern press., 1851-08-27
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

a- TO sho,o what is DONE and ,ohai should be done
PETER q. WAsHrseroN,
CmAsLss M. WILLARD. Editors and Proprisiors:
Terms :" The United Staiss Postal Guide aud
Official ADVERTISER, containing about % s,osy-youaI
octave pages, is published monthly for ONE poL-
LAR ONLY per an''''"i' payable IA aduance--or fue
dollars for sir copies ordered.
PREPARATORY NOTICE
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, tas
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 hth
erto teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instrur
tions, more or less comprehensive, and intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
qaate in the absencs 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, are too voluminous
and are printed in quantities 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 policy
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves far they go, and
some of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do 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,
render the discharge of public duty either SAT.
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, methodica, 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 ey
tent ut least--apart from, and Independently OF
any party or personal interest 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-Office 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 .e best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements OF business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry it on. Since bis official connection with
| the Government ceased, he ilatters himself he has
preserved the respect ana regard OF most of the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms Of intercourse and cvty with
them all. The Junior Editor has bee n asssiduou,v
engaged for several years, IN studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Office and
other branches of the public businesses IL is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
| reaching the various sources of administrative ac
tion and for impartng minute and illustrative in.
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
/ inf. ttpn hat Ve nall
| and solicit your support and patronage
We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month az
the day for the publication of our paper, so as TO
afford time for obtaining from the departments.
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables o-
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
Regulations, issued by the Post Office Depart-
ment only once IN two or three years. Ii liz 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 ofs
fees in the tables which no longer in operationf
and offices in operation which not in the tabes1
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 postmasters and others nre 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 modif-
| lra
and preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
| exnct information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much of the present msdi-
rectjon. remaiIing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
OF full and exact knowledge, for which we have
nroyided and for which we engage, every intelli-
cent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently v of all
others. are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and viii, II 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
,o suhscribe The same considerations npplv I,
the orders and notices. DECISIONS and instruction
OF the War Navy, Treasury, State, and Interio.
departments, and the same course is intended i'm
rssnec, 10 them Notices of the decisions OF the
sunreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty or national interest, will find place
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
,enon to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the q untry, will embrace in a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or ars-
inc in Congress-. At each session vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress. by the several departments and their subor-
5;n.,s bureaus. and profound and comprehensive
r.nor,s are made by committees Of both Houses
~, IN. great mass Of the community kno W. moth
,no of the contents OF these documents and
ports, except the brief notices of them, which
from time 10 time appear in the public papers.
Tbe standing number printed OF each document
49,, rsnort- is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
,;na. which at once shows the impracticobity of
their dissemination. The ApvsRusEn will con-
tain abort abridgments or Al slysIs of all these
documents and reports, and the mpend will
therefore not only prove exec ,ly useful and
in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
10 those interested whenever it is found desirable
TO obtain and examine the documen at large.
There is large field before us, the materials are
annie Ii will be our Jealous care collect and
arrange them in the prope form. We have every
confidence aAat the subscriptions will be ample W
enable us to accomplish it ALL The information.
we propose TO give, comprehendng and confue
10 the action OF the Government, is solid usefu
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary to the of
cer-,f not to the citizen II is intended for all,
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any. Fiat the end of the year, any subscriber
Ill ....t l. r.fT Ill. r.