The southern press., 1851-10-30
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE


UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
.AND 0FFICLdL ADVERTISER.
~ To show whai Is DON'T aud ,ohai should be done
IA qDice.=sH
cn.Rlss NJ. WarDs' Wm1anD. Ediiorsana Preprislor'
Terms. =" The United States Postal Guide and
0teiai ddpertiser, containing about 30 srper-rouaL
oeiaoo pages, IS published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per dnnl,a, payable ia aduanes--or fus
dollars for sir copies ordered
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
OF which this paper is at once the commencement,
and u sample of the papers that to follow, tas
for it's aim no less purpose, than to impart in
structon, IN the general and detail, to the Officer
and Agents Of the American public, in respect both
their duties and their rights, and TO make them,
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
zation, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partnents Of their Government. There has hith-
erto Leen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue 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
structions integible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volumlnouss
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries of the press upon their proceeds
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 policys
These publications in their various forms
highly useful in themselves as 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 whch
can render the discharge of public duty either satS
| or easy, whether in respect to the incumbent him.
| self, 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, metbodical, 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
any party or personal interest or question what
ever
Ii is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be SENT that the Senior Editor was AUDI
tor of the Post-Otfice 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 carry il on. Since his official connect IN with
the Government ceased he hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard of most OF the
preseLt incumbents of the departments and is on
| becoming terms of intercourse and civllity with
| them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
| engaged for several years, in stud wing bv per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
| daily routine and details of the Post Office and
other branches OF the public business. Ii is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
| reaching the various sources of administrative M, I,
ton and for imparting minute and illustrative I'M
| 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 paper, so as 10
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued or mad,
by them during the preceding month. Tables ar
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 a
matter of Inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been no remedy, that i'm one
month from the time of these issues there are off
fees in the tables which no longer in operatonf
and offices in operation which not in the tablesi
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.
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 modifs
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, 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 intellI-
GENT postmaster can 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 r
a patriotic regard for the credit prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office system-at once
TO subscribe. The same considerations apply 10
the orders and notices, decisions, and instruction.
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 paper.