The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-31

~ ''o" """i Is done, and ,chaf should be done
PETER G. WAsurncTos'
CnAsLEs M. WnLAnp, Editors aud Proprieioss.
IE.ms -" The United States Postal Gyid, anil
@c,af fdre'fiser," containing about 10 sposr-yonoI
ocsaUo pages Is published monthly t,r ONE poL
IAN osLs' Per 1n"""', payable IN adcance---or five
doIars for sir copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise In which now embark AMI
OF which this paper is at once the commencement
and a sample of the papers that to follow, AS
for its aim no less purpose, than to impurt in
struction, in the general aud 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
izatlon, decisions and action of the Executive de-
pnrtments Of their Government There has hilh
ertO Leen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication OF information of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc
lions, or less comprehensive, and nj 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
structons inteIligible The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are volumino,ts
and 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
party ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as they go, and
some of them Indispensable; but there il much
that do not reach the hands Of all, nor il they did
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
Piles, 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 him.
self, or the department or bureau under which he
acts. We shall make an honest effort to supply
IA nd do III
If we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary offices more uniform, methodica, and
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 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-Offce 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 the best opportunities for
understanding 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 1attcrs himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most OF the
present ncumbents 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 Office and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative &C
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
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
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once In two or three years. 1t is
| matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
! hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
| month from the time of these issues, there are of
fees in the tables which no longer in ope ation
and offices in operation which are 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 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-
| cations, made IN each month, and by being fled
and preserved, will afford to posmasters full and
| exact information upon both subjects, up 10 and
| for time being. How much of the present misdi-
rection, remniIing, 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 inteli-
| 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 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 aplacs
! in this pat~r.
| department of our paper addressing itself not
merely TO pustmasters 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
| dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
| reports are made by committees of both Houses
/
| inc of the contents Of these documents and
| 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-
,ives, which at once shows the ImpractcablIity Of
| their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
n,n short abrdgmens 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
q. 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 jealous 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, compromising and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, usefu
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cer-f not to the citizen. II is intended for all,
and put at price which constitute no obstacle