The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-14
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
IND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.

sdSFO OFfICISdL ADVERTISER.
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TxkMs. =" The United States Postal Guide aad
Official .4dperfser," containing aboui - srper-royai
octave pages, Is published monthly for ONE DOL
Lar ONLY, per amnum, payable in adrence-or .fpe
doAGrs for sr copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper is ut once the commencement,
and sample Of the papers that are to follow, has
for it's aim no less purpose, than to impart in
structi6n, in the general and detail, to the Officers
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
izaton, 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 lastruc-
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, rs 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 yoluminous,
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 are
highly useful in themselves as far as they go, and
some of them indispensabe but there is much
that do reach the hands of oil, 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.
rnlf orr ha NJ n ndor ubich he
acts. We shall make an honest effort to supply
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessties.
IL we succeed in rendering the functions Of the
primary offices more uniform, methodical, and ex-
act, 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 1H
| 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-OAice 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. 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
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 hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF, most OF the
present incunbents Of the departments, and is on
becoming terms of intercourse and cIvility with
them oil. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Office and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
-
ton, and for imparting 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, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the ordersD tices and changes issued, or made
| by them during the preceding month. Tables of
Post Officer, and compilations Of the Laws and
Regulations are 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 no remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there are Of
fees in the tables which are no longer in ope alton
and Offices in operation which are not in the tables
AT this time there are 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 postmasiers and others are wholly
any increase Of the svil Of either kind, and from
lhe 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 postnlasters full and
| exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present misdi-
recton, remang doubt confison error, and
impositon will be saved by the progressive state
| OF full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided and for which we engage, every intelii-
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, it 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
to subscribe. The same considerations apply to
the orders and notices, decisions, and instructions
OF the War, Navy, Treasury, Stale, and Interior
departments, and the same course ia 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 paper.
A 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 sris-
ing in Congress, At each session vast deal of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gross by the several departments and their subor.
dipate 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 thsse documents and re-
ports, except tho 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 impracticability 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
to those interested whenever it IL found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large field before U.S. the materials are
ample IL will be 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 il all The information
we propose to give, conprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, il solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the off
cer-,f not to the citizen 1t is intended for all,
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any fiat the end Of the year, any subscriber