The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-29
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
and OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.

70 Sho,o whaf is done, aud phai should be done,
in qtiee..=sT
cs1ss ~ w1sIrsssOs' Editors and Proprieos
TERMs. --" The United States Postal Guide and
Official .7drertiser," containing about 80 wpsr-royd
ocfapo pages, is published monthly for ONE
LAR ONLY, per annu,n, payable in adranee--or fire
dollars for sir copies ordered at amy one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
J The enterprise ia which we embark, and
Of which this paper is at once the commencement
and sample of the papers that are to follow, has
for it's ann no less purpose, than 10 lmpart IN
struction, 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 atlarge, acquainted with the organ
ization decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hlth-
erto Eeen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of nstruc-
tons, more less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
qustc in the absence Of the construction Of those
Laws, applied to particular cnses, and of details
and illustratons.to make the regulations and IN
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, too voldminous,
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
iof 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 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
pies, 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, methodlcai 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 expect to do, to some ex-'
tent at least-apart from, and independently of
any party or personal interest or question what
lever.
1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor Audi
tor of the Post-Office Department until the month
lof November last; with by far the larger portion
of both pos,mssters and contractors, he has had
direct INTERCOURSE In person or by letter. lie 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 ceuSeu ne HuptcrS hIVisetI Tic Has
preserved the respect and regard of most OF the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
s becoming terms of intercourse and civillty with
q them ALL The Junior Editor has been ssduously
e engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
: sonaI 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
reaching the various of administrative ac-
don, and for importing minute and illustrative IN
= sruction, and valuable periodical and stat'sii. !
u 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 or 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. Ii Is a
! matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
n hitherto there has been remedy, that IN one
, month from the time of these issues, there are Of
ices il he tables which no longer IN ope alton,
md Offices in operation which are not IN the tables.
At this time there are perhaps three thousand
fiices of the two descriptions. In like manner
avs have been passed and regulations established
| ,ince the issue Of the last volume Of regulations,
| # which many postmasters and others are wholly
| gnorant. We propose TO prevent, tor the present,
| my increase Of the evil of either kind, and from
1 III
| vllIfurnish the additions, corrections, and modlh-
| atoms made IN each month, and by being filed
md preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
| ,xact information upon both subjects, up to and
| or time being. How much Of the present misdi-
| ection remaing, doubt, confusion, error, and
IMPOSITION, will be saved by the progressive state
f full and exact knowledge, for which we have
rovidcd, and for which we engage, every inteii
ent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently OF all
,thers are worth many times the price we charge
i6,r the paper and will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his Office, OF
/ A patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
:, efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at once
4 o subscribe The considerations apply to
he orders and notices, decisions, and instructions
# the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interior
departments and the same course ~ intended In
-espect 10 them Notices Of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
Of official duty or national interest," will Ind place
| IN this ape.
A Department Of our paper addressing itself not
| Ierely TO postmasters and other officers OF the
| Government but to all other citizens who give at
eoton to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
| nd development Of the ., untry, will embrace IN
| unlicensed form the matters submitted TO, or arts
| NO in Congress. At each session a vast deal OF
aIuabIe information is communicated TO Con
ress by the several departments and their subor-
mate bureaus and profound and COMPREHENSIVE.
| eporis are made by committees OF both Houses.
/ ,,t the great mass Of the community know moth
| ,ng of the contents Of these documents and re-
/ ,orts except the brief notices of them, which
i rom time to time appear IN the public papers
i The standing number printed of each document
| and report is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred IN the douse of Representa-
| tives which at once shows the impractIcabhty of
| their dissemination. The ADvERTisER Will con-
tain short abrdgmcnts or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the ccompend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
Instructive in ITSELF but will furnish an easy index
to those interested whenever it is found desirable
| 10 obtain and examine the document ut large
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample 1t will be our jealous care 10 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, compromising and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the oi-
cer-,f not TO the citizen. II Is intended for all
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any fiat the end Of the year, any subscriber
&II