The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-14
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
IND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER

|
De-. - vr IN @jice..ET
LETTER " WAsHrAcToR,( -,
CHARLES M WILLARD, Editors and Proprietors.
o tkMs. :" The United States Postal Guide and
WFca1 .aaoeriiser, containing about 70 sr,.y-,oay
ocfa0o pages, Is published n,onthhv sr nrss -
LAR ONLY, per annttni, payable in adpanee-o, fine
dollars for str copies ordered at ann one Inn, 80
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise IN which we now embark, and
OF which this paperis at once the commencement
and sample of the papers that are to follow, has
for It's aim no less purpose, than to iinpart in
structon IN the general and detail, to the Officer
and Agents ofthe 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 hith
erto Leen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the issue Of instr,c
ions, more or less comprehensive and at 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 detaila
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 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
"
These publications IN their various forms are
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 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
& H.. Al. e.
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 T,
tent at east-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 porlon
of both postmasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person 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
unders landing the arrangements OF business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry 1t on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased he latters 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 civty with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssduousy
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Oiiice 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-
| tion 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 az
the day for the publication of our paper, so as to
afford time for obtaining from the deJiartmentss
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, issued by the Post Office DEPART
ment only once IN two or three years. 1t is a
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 operation
and offices in operation which are not in the tables
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 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 modih-
cations, made IN each month, and by being fled
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, remoiling, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
| OF full and exact knowledge for which have
provided, end 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 charge
for the paper, and will, 1t 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 systern--at
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 paptr.
! A department Of our paper addressing itself not
! merely to posimasters and other officers of the
| Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenon to the affairs OF the nation and the progress
and development of the G. untry, will embrace in u
condensed form the matters submitted to, arls-
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 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 docume L
and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate,
! and fourteen hundred in the House of Representa-
| tiyes which at once shows the impracticability OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abrldgments 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 an easy index
to those interested whenever It is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large field before us, the materials are
ample II 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, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cer-if not to the citizen.s 1t is intended for all,
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any. fiat the end of the year, any subscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value of
l. >ll IN,