The southern press., 1851-06-27
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFTCLgL ADVERTISER.

- IL
PETER G. WAsHrHcron, )
IERms.-" The United States Postal (4ds and
'ca' .4duerttssr," containing about 90 svpey-rova
oetd0o pages, Is published monthly tbr ONE Dor-
Lar ONLY, per annum, payable IL advonesor 6rs
dollars for sir copies ordered ot any one time:
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now eubarL ani
Of which this paper il at once the commencement
and sample Of the papers that are to follow. Az
for its aim no less purpose, than to inpart 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 10 make them,
and the people at large acquainted with the organ
lixaton, decisions and action of ths Executive de-
lparments of their Government. There has hith
erto teen no vehicIs for the regular and proper
communication Of information o7 this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc
tions, more or less comprehensive and Ut 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 intelligble. The valuable documents
annually reported TO Congress, are too voluminous
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 nre
highly useful in themselves as far as they go, and
some. of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of ALL nor il they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
pes 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 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 ey-
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. s
| 1t is known to most Of those TO whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Edit0rfwas Audi
tor of the Post-Ofice Department until the month
Of November last; with by far the larger portion
! of both postmasters and contractors, be 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 it on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he fatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
|. becoming terms Of intercourse and civiity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of tho 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 ac-
ton, and for impartng 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 to
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables Oh
1 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 no remedy, that in
month from the time of these issues, there are of
fees in the tables which no longer in operations
and offices in operation which are not in the tabesl
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 modif-
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 misdi-
| rection, remaifng, 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 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 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 systeni--at once
to subscribe. The same considerations apply to
the orders and notices, deciaons, 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 or national interest, will find place
/ in this paptr.
department of our paper addressing itself not
merely 10 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 e untry, viii embrace IN a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or nris-
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress by the several departments and their subor-
dnate 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-
| from time to time appear in the public papers,
The standing number printed of each documen
and report. is only twelve hundred in the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
tives, which at once shows the Impracticab!ity o.
,hsr disseminaton The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgmen,s or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the comPsnd will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish an easy index
TO those Interested whenever It Is found desirable
90 ob,a;n and examine the document at large
There is a large field before us, the materials are
annie Il 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, comprehendinS and conhne'
to tie action Of the Government, - solid, usefg
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary TO the Of
cer-if not to the citizen. II is intended for all,
and put Mt price which can ccnstitute no obstacle
with any. fiat the end Of the year, any subscriber
6ud that he rAcAlve the full value of