The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-06
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
IND OFFICIAL .1DVERTYSER


n - 49, IN eDice.SssIs
PETER u WAsHrNeros,
cmanIEs Nj. WmIAnp, Editors and Perpetrators.
Terms -" The United States Postal C,,;d. ,,,y
Official 4dperiiser,' containing abo,,i a, sna"",
ocfaro pages, rs published ,nonttiy sr asr noI
LAR ONLY, per dfinun, payable i,t adua,,ee-or G,e
dollars for sir copies ordered at anu one fios
PREPARATORY NOTICE
| The enterprise in which we now embark an
Of which this paper is at once the commencement &.
and sample of the papers that to follow, as
| for It's ann no less purpose, than to impart IN
struction, in the general and detail to The Officer
and 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
zation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith
erto Leen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of nstrr
tons, 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, applied to particular cases. and of detais
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
sructons ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volumino,s
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress ard
the commentaries of the press upon their proceed
ngs, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only
party ends, and to matters of national policy.
| 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
Piles, 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, methodica, 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 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-Ohice Department until the month
I 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 1t on Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he fatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most Of the
presef incumbents of the departments and is on
becoming terms of intercourse and civllity with
them ALL The Junior Editor has been usssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Posts Office 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 challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronape
We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of our paper, so ms TO
afford time for obtaining from the Departmental
all the orders, notices and changes issued or mad.
by them during the preceding month. Tables q
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
Regulations are issued by the Post Office Depart
meut only once in two 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 longer in ope alton
and Offices In operation which 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 modf-
cations, made 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-
recton, remang, 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 intelli-
gent postmaster estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, are worth many times the price charge
for the paper, and will, it is hoped induce every
postmaster Who feels just pride IN his office,
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 or national interest, will find place
IN this pavsr.
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 untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to- or aris-
ing in Congress- At each session vast deal OF
| valuable information is communicated TO Con-
gress, by the several departments and their subor-
dinate 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
and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate,
! and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
tiyes. which at once shows the mpracticability OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abrdgments 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
70 those interested, whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample II 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, comprehending and confined
to tire action Of the Government, il solid, useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cer--if not to the citizen. II is intended for all,
and put at price which constitute no obstacle
with any. Hat the end of the year, any subscriber