The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-05
THE a tH
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.

THE aN
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
IND OFFICIAL aDVERTISER.
u3 40 "oW toAal Is done, and .chat should be done,
IN Qlfos.=kH
PETER G. WAsHrNGToN, -
CHARLES M. WILLARD, Editors and Proprietors.
TERMS. -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official ADVERTISER" containing about 80 spper-rouaI
octave pages, is published monthly for ONE pol
LAR ONLY, per asaNwns, payable in aduance--or fue
dollars for sir copies ordered at amy one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise III 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 its aim no less purpose, than to mpart in
structon, 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 Eeen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the isshe of instruc-
tons, less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence of the construction OF those
Laws, as applied to particular cases, and Of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
strnctons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too vouminous,
and are 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
highly useful in themselves us far they co. and
some of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of al nor if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
ples 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, 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.
| 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-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, 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 laters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most OF the
present incumbents of the departments and is
becoming terms of intercourse and civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
{ sona inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Oifice and
lofhe rheSo of fba lie httstn II
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, 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, 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 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 not in the tables
AT this time there are perhaps over 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,
3 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 modlt
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 misdi-
rection, 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 intelii
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 will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his Office, or
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office system-at once
10 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 national interest, viii Ind 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
tention the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development OF the untry, will embrace in n
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arls-
ing in Congress. At each session a vast deal OF
. valuable information Is 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
ports, except the brief notices OF them, winch
from time TO time appear in the public papers
The standing number printed OF each document
i and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
, tyes which at once shows the Impracticability Of
: their dissemination The ADVERTISER will con-
. tain short abrldgments or analysis OIL ai these
documents and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but viii furnish an easy index
~ those interested, whenever it il found desirable
10 obtain and examine the document Mt large.
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample. IL will be our Jealous care TO collect and
: arrange them in the proper form. We have every
e confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
. | ennLIo ne 10 nccnmnlish IL ALL The inflammation