The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-14
THE
THE N M tt,,
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND Official ADVERTISER W

I5 To sho.u ,rhst Is don<, and wia should be done,
Els i, ~ Ia Office, LII 4,t,e 4, F8fi
PErER G, WAsHrSGroS, Ed;,oyx a,a p,o,,i.,oy,.
CHARLEs M. WILLARD, -N-"''.S'~. ~ = M
TERns. -" The United STATES Postal Guide and
Official .adrertissr," nontaang sbepi ~ sppsr-royal
oeisvo pages, is published moathly Jbr ONE DOL
Lar ONLY, per anauns, payable Ia adpsnce Tor fire
dollars fur sir copies ordered al amy one time.
PREFARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper is at once the commencement,
and sample Of the papers that are to follow, has
for it's aim no less purpose, than to impart in
struction, in the general and detail. to the Officers
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
ization, decisions and action OF the Executive de-
partments of their Government There has hith-
erto Teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of instruc-
lions. more or less comprehensive, and al intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
uuute in the absence of the construction Of those
Laws as applied to particular cases, and OF details
and illustrations 70 make the regulations ana m
structons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported 70 Congress, too yoluminous,
and are printed in quantities too small tor 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 70
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 10 much
that do not reach the hands Of all, nor if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
Plies, for the despatch Of the public business when
can render the discharge of public duty either safe
or easy, whether in respect 70 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. ST a., aa " r1isEa 81 s.a elt . ,saq5
1t is known to most Of those TO whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Posl-O Office 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 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 Aatters 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 cly'lity with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical aud
daily routine and details Of the Post-Ofce and
other branches of the public business. II is with
this stock Of experience and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for mparting 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 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 OF
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. ~ 10 a
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 are not IN the tables.
Al this time there are perhaps three thousand
offices of the two descriptiohs.i ln like manner
laws have been passed and regulations established
since the issue Of the last volume OF regulations,
Of which many postmasters anu 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 hled
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, remaiIihg, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided, and Coz which we engage, every intelli-
gent postmaster can estimate for hinsel. IA
These advantages alone and independently OF all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, aud will it IN hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride IN his Office or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
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 ~ 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 ind place
il, this pspser. usfi er af .atiil io AK. .fss
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely to pvstmssters 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 {, untry, will embrace IN
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or nrfs-
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
sresa, by the several departments and their subor-
dnate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports are made by committees OF both Houses.
But the great masa 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-
tves, which at once shows the imprncticabllity OF