The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-22
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
and nrIICLaI .1DYFRTISRR

tls 10 sho'o Whaf IS donf and trha should be doae
ia q6ics.~ Is 4
crasrrs M W "s.s' Editors and Proprisiors
TEams.--'' The United States Postal G,.ids and
Official .4dcsrser containing about 30 spper-royaI
oefaoo pages, Is published monthly for ONE
LAR ONLY, per a'i'tuIn payable IN adpaace--or Grs
dollars for sir copies ordered. ga
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now embark. and
Of which this paper is ut once the COMMENCEMENT,
and sample of the papers that to follow, / as
/ for it's aim no less purpose, than To impart in
sructon, in the general and detail. 10 the Officer
and Agents of the American public in respect both
to their duties and their rights and 10 make them,
and the people at large, acquainted with the organs
ization decisions and action Of The Executive de-
par.ments of their Government. There has hth
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 less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, HAYS. proved wholly made
qaate, in the absence Of the construction OF those
Laws, applied to particular cases, and of details
and illustrations TO make the regulations and in.
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voumnous
and are printed in quantities too smaifor general
circulation; whilst the dethtes 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
l
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 il 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 heincumbent 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 xua in rendpruU the nf
primary Offices more uniform, methodical, and ey
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
tent at least-apart from, and independently Of
any party or personal interest 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 Office 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
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 ceased, he fatters himself he has
" preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
II present incumbents of the departments and is on
e becoming terms Of intercourse and civIlity with
E. them ALL The Junior Editor has been uously
N engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
II sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
Of daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative nc.
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 az
y the day for the publication of 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 anu
!, Regulations are issued by the Post Office Depart
n ment only once in two or three years. Ii is u
:. matter of inconv enence and complaint, for which
Is hitherto there has been no remedy, that IN one
month from the time of these issues, there are off
fees in the tables which longer in operations
e and Offices in operation which not in the tabess
n AT this time there perhaps three thousand
. offices of the two descriptions. In like manner
a laws have been passed and regulations established
- since the issue Of the last volume of regulations
. of which many postmasters and others wholly
,, ignorant We propose to prevent for the present
"a anv increase Of the evil of either kind, and from
y the time another issue shall be made, our paper
a. will furnish the additions, corrections and modih
u cations, made in each month, and by being filed
!, and preserved will afford to posnasters full and
eysct information upon both subjects, up to and
= for time being. How much Of the present msdi-
I. rection, remang, doubt, confusion, error, and
u mnostiou will be saved by the progressive state
~ full and exact knowledge, for which we have
u provided, and for which we engages every inelli-
n yent postmaster estimate for HIMSELF
I These advantages alone and Independently OF all
y 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
= n,trotc regard for the credit, prosperity, an
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--at once
to subscribe. The same considerations apply tr
the orders and notices. decisions, annd Instruction
! of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Inter,o
daoartments and the is intended i'm
resnect 10 them Notices Of the decisions of the
RS s,,preme Court in turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, will find place
'r in this papsr. s -. 90
2 o,ereIv,o postmasters and other officers of the
y Covernment but to all other citizens who give
n ention to the affairs OF the nation and the progress
II and development of the untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress. AT each session a vast deal of
valuable information communicated to Con-
e eress by the several departments and their sdbor
- dnnte bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
n repor,s are made by committees OF both Houses
. But the great mass OF the community know noth-
Is ,ne of the contents Of these documents and re-
in no,,s excent the brief notices Of them, which
from time to time appear IN the public papers,
The standing number printed OF each documeh {
al and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate
}, and fourteen hundred in the House of Representa-
/ ,;uss which at once shows the inpracucabity of
J. ,he;y dissemination. The ADVERTISERS will con-
Z tain short abrldgmenis or analysis Of all these
documents and reports, and the mpend will
, therefore not only prove exceedingly. useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish an easy index
~, those Interested whenever it is found desirabIe
10 obtain and examine the documen large
There is large field before us. the materially are
ample. II viii be our Jealous to collect and
7 arrange them in the prope form. We have every
confidence that the SUBSCRIPTIONS viii he ample to
enable us to accomplish !, s'' The intofmss'on
, we propose to give, comprehending and confined
to tie action Of the Government, is solid, usefu
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary to the Off
cer-lf not the citizen. II is intended for al (,
and put at price which can constitute obstacle