The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-29

PETER q. WAsHrRsTos
CnARLEs M. wmIAap, Editors and PrOprist0n.
IEKMs. 50 The United States Postal Guide and
We'a' ''douhsef' containing about - spper-yoyat
octaoo pages, is published monthly for ONE Dol
LAR ONLY, per ann,sna, payable in aduance-or Gpe
dollars for SIC copies ordered at any one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE
I The enterprise IN which we now embark md
Of which this paper is at once the commencement.
and a sample of the papers that are to follow has
| for its aim no less purpose, than to impart in
struction, in the general and detail, to the Officer
aud 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 hih
erto Leen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc
tons, less comprehensive, and intervals
more or less extended, have provA4wlsviy made
quate, in the absence 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 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
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
pies, for the despatch Of the public business which
can render the discharge of public duty either safe
or easy, whether III respect to the incumbent him.
self, 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 i'm 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 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. lie 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 fatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most OF the
prese1t ncumbents of the departments, and is
: becoming terms of intercourse and cviity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduou5ly
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
J sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
4 daily routine and details of the Post-Olce 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 challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage. 90
We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month az
the day for the publication of our paper, TO
|, afford time for obtaining from the departmenfss
all the ORDERS notices and changes issued 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. 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 of
fees in the tables which are longer in ope alton
and offices in operation which not in the tables
At this time there 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,
nny increase of the evil of either kind and from
! the time another issue shall be made paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modih-
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
,
| rection, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive
Of full and exact knowledge, for which have
provided, and for which we engage, every intelli-
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, Il 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
/ IT. a.. 80. ~
the orders and notices, decisions, and instructions
Of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interior
departments and the same 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
ia this PAIR.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
merely to postfnasters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tention the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and d development of the unry, will embrace in a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress. AT each session vast deal OF
| valuable information rs 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
Rut the great mass Of the community know moth.
ipg 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-
tyes which at once shows the lmpractcabty OF
their dissemination. The ApvERrIsER will con-
tam 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
10 those interested, whenever is found desirable
20 obtain and examine the document at large
Their. is large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t viii be our jealous care to collect and
arrange then, in the proper FORM We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
! enable us to accomplish il all. The information
| we propose give, comprehendng and confined
! 10 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 obstacle
with any. fat the end Of the year, any subscriber
hall End TINT he has not received the full xnuc of