The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-19
UNITED STATES posTAI au,nr


D. r, Nj, IA Tfiee.=EE
PETER q. WASHrseroN,
CHARLES M, WILLARD, Editors and Proprieioys
orr - me United States Postal Guild, and
cV'e'a' '1"oerhser, containing about % ,,n,,,aI
oefa'o pages, Is published nsoafhhv a. ~ ,os"'
LAR ONLY, per aanua', payable u, adraues 20. a.
dollars for sir copies ordered al ann one - JP'
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now emh.,
OF winch this paper is at once the commencsn,ert
and sample of the papers that are to follow 4 a.,
Tor It's ann no less a purpose, than to impart in
structlon, IN the general aud detail 10 tbe oa;car
and Agents of the American public in res ,ect bo,b
TO their duties and their rights, and TO make diem.
ana Tue people at large, acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action of the Executiva a.
partments of their Government There haa bi,b
erto leen no vehicle for the regular and nronsr
communication OF information of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the issue Of instruc
uohs' more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
mere or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, IN the absence of the CONSTRUCTION ~ ,hoss
Laws, as applied to particular cases and of details
ana Illustrations to make the regulations and IN
structIons Ineligible. The valuable documenIs
annually reported TO Congress, are too voumino,,a
ana are printed IN quantities too small for general
crcuauon whilst the debates ii, Congress- and
The commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
ingb, ana the proceedings of the Executive branch
OF u'e Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves onlv 10
aarty ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their yorioua snrrns srs
highly useful in themselves as far rs tJev .n and
some oil them indIspensable but there is ,nnch
thnt DO not reach the hands of all nor IL tbey d;d
do they furnish those rules, methods. and cyan.
pies' Tor the despatch of the public business which
can render the discharge Of public dutv either sara
or easy, whether in respect 10 the Incumbent him.
sell, or me department or bureau under which he
acts We shall make an honest effort Ia sunnl,
this vacuum, and TO provide for these necessities
Ii we succeed IN rendering the functions of the
primary onces 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 ey
tent at least-apart from, and independently of
any party or personal interest or question what
ever. f'''
IL is known to most Of those TO whom this ma
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was ndi
tor OF the Post-Office Department until the month
OF November last; with by far the larger portion
OF potn postmasters and contractors, he has had
ureSt ,hleicourse' IN person or by letter. He
tered the department fourteen wears since and for
many years previously, had been first in the War
department, and subsequently in the Treasury
lie has therefore had the best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements OF business in all
the departments, and beng acquainted with those
VINO carry 1t on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he hatters himself he has
I preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
preset incumoents OF the departments and il on
{ becoming terms Of intercourse and civIlitv with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssidnously
q engaged for several years in studvino nv ner
j sonai inquiry and examination. the practical and
4 iaily routine and details of the Post Office and
other branches OF the public business Tits with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources Of administrative &C.
tion' ana 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 liked upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of our paper, 40 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 a,
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in Two or three years II is
matter of Inconvenience and complaint for which
hitherto there has been no remedy, thai in one
month from the time of these issues, there are of
fees in the tables which no longer in ope ationl
and Offices in operation which 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 postmasters and others IRE wholly
ignorant. We propose 10 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 ,nodf-
and preserved, will afford TO postmasers full and
exact information upon both subjects, up TO and
for time being. How much of the present misdi-
recton, remailing, 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 ntelli-
gent postmaster estimate for himself
| These advantages alone and independently of all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and viii, 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 systeni--ai 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 pattr
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
! merely TO postmasters aud other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
ention to the affairs OF the nation and the progress
and development of the e. untry, will embrace ina
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or aris-
| ipg in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
| valuable information Is communicated To Con-
gress by the several departments aud their subor-
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
| reports are made by committees OF both Houses.
But the great mass Of the commun ty know moth
ng OF the contents of these documents and re-.
| norris except the brief notices OF them, which
from time TO time appear in the public papers.
I Th, standing number printed OF each docomeae
! and feport is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
/ uves, which at once shows the impraccabIfity %
! their dissemination. The ApvEarrsIs will con-
tain short abridgmsn,s 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 IL is found desirable
20 obtain aud examine the document at large.
There is 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 II all. The information
we propose to give, comprchending 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. It's intended for ALL