The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-19
THE
UNIFIED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.

THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL .ADvERTTSER.
Ay- 40 sooss 'ehaf - don and ichat should be done,
IN a6Rce.=&U
cs.ns. NJ w1WsI,s s' Editors and Perpetrators.
TEaMs. =" TAe United States Postal Guild, and
Q0tciai advertiser" containing about 81 spper-rou
oesSso paxss, u published monthly Jbr ONE pol
LA ONLY, per s'.Fss'm, psyaOle ~ aduancsor. Jus
dollars fbv siT copies ordtrsd At any one time
PREFARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise ia which we now embark, and
Of which this paper il n once the commencement,
and sample Of the papers that are 70 follow, has
for il: aim no less pprRcae, than 70 impsrt in
straction. u !hs general End detail. 70 the oficer,
70 their duties and their rights, and to make them
and the psopls 1t large, acquainted with the organ
ixasion, decisions ana acsidn Of the Executive de
partments Of their Government There has hh
srto tssn no vehicle for the regular and prope
communication Of infaHmAtioa ~ Mis- kind. Tn
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of instruce
lions, more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence Of the construction or those
Laws, applied to particular cases. and Of details
and Illustrations to make the regulations and in
structons ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voluminors
and are 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
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 an far as they 90, and
some of them Indispensable; but there IL much
that do not reach the hands Of all, 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 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.
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
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 flatters 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 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 Ii is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various of administrative ac-
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 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 and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. II is
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,
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 modf-
cations, made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford TO postmasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present msdi-
rection, remang, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
H r -
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 ia 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 place
in this pat<r
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
tenton to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the c. untry, will embrace in "a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress. Az each session a vast deal OF
gress, by the several departments and their subor-
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports are 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 document
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
lives, which at once shows the impracticability Of
l. Ill
tain short abridgments or analysis Of - these
documents and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish an easy index
to those interested whenever it in found desirable
10 obtain and examine the document at large
There is large field before W, the materials are
ample 1t will be our Jealous care 70 collect and
arrange them in the proper FORM We haye every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable us to accomplish Il all. The information
we propose TO give, eon,prehendng and confined
TO the action Of the Government. is solid, useful,
nd (uye unirht nuaoaf savl re~eu~~ IN ,be off,