The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-05
NGToN CITY, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY s, 1851
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
avn OEEYf,raY aOvERT,YyEP

THE
| UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFTICLqL ADVERTISER.
To skoO wkAl Is done, and scAat should be done,
IA Office. LII
c s1sa r. w1W;E'sasss' Editors .nd ,eprs.tor,
TERMs. ~" TAs United States Po,ta, Guide and
(0ciat advertiser, eontsining about 81 svpn-rcyai
octsvo pegs, y psblisAsd monthly for ONE DOL
IA. ONLY, ysr a.s... psyab!s y. adranss-0r f'e
PREPARATORY NoTiCE.
| The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper ~ vt once the commencement
and sample Of the papers that are 10 follow, has
for ilx ann no less purpose, than to impart IN
struction, in the genera! and detail 70 tho Ohices
and Agents Of the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and % make them
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
xAtion. decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith-i
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
tons, more OF less comprehensive and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence Of the construction Of those
Laws applied 10 particular cases, and of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
structons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voluminous
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
marty ends, and to matters Of national policy
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves far az they 60, and
some of them Indispensable; but there il 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
rharo dnfu her Safo
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, 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 east-apart from, and independently Of
any party or personal interest or question what
ever.
i 1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor Audi
| tor Of the Post-Ofice 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, ard 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 curry it on Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he fatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard of most Of the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
q becoming terms Of intercourse and civility with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
e engaged for several years, in studying, by per.
: sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
!, daily routine and details of the post-Office and
lnthor ~ nh lic huxI is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages fol
G reaching the various sources of administrative &c
ton, and for impartng minute and illustrative IN
: sruction, and valuable periodical and statistical
n 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, made
! by them during the preceding month. Tables OF
! Post Offices, aud compilations Of the Laws and
Regulations, arc issued by the Post Office Depart
\ ment only once in two or three years. Ii is a
matter of incpnvenience 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
4 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 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 modIfi-
, cations made IN 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 msdi-
4 rection, remaiIing, doubt, confGcion error, and
al imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
| c.N al kpo, ladU FIR uh No Inv
= provided, and for which we engage, every intelli-
4 gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
nj These advantages alone and independently of all
: others, are worth many times the price we charge
= for the paper, and WILL it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels Just pride in his office,
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
n efficiency of the whole Post Office sysiem-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 national interest, will find place
in this papes. 80 grft.
Il A department Of our paper addressing itself not
y merely TO postmasters and other officers Of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
,enton to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the {, untry, will embrace IN
cond ensed form the matters submitted to, or ars-
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
valuable information 10 communicated TO Con-
gress by the several departments and their subor-
dnate 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 these documents and re-
3 ports, except the brief notices Of them, which
8 from time 10 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 ApvERrIsER will con-
tain shor, nbridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
: therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in i,se1, but will furnish nm easy index
10 those interested, whenever it is found desirable
r To obtain and examine the document at large.
Their. is large field before u.s. 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 10
enable us to accomplish il ALL The information
, we propose to give, compromising and confined