The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-07-17


sulscupsoas At our risk. Address, Dost-paidD
ELLwOOD FISHER 't'f~
ai4a Washingtos CITY.
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND Official ADVERTISER.
III To shOw whai is done, and wsss shosid be done
in qtcs.-ku
CaARLxs M. WILLARD, Editors and freP''ss0r'
T.xh. 80 The Unitsd States Poaal Gxjds and
1c'ai advertiser" containing about 80 svpsrroyai
oe'a'o p4gss' published monthly tbr oNs'UoL-
LAR ONLY, PER snsuns, payable in advance---or fps
dollars for SIR copies ordered at any one fine
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
| The enterprise In which we now embark. an
Of which this paper is at once the commencement
and sample of the papers that are to follow AZ
for It's aim no less pnrpose, than to impart in.
struction, in the general and detail, to the Officer
and Agents Of the American public, in respect both
70 their duties and their rights, and 10 make them
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
iAation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith
erto tsen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind The
publication OF the Laws and the issue or fnStrur
ticns, more orle comprehensive, sud "a inssrvals
q ss *: sssss. a.: ssss,S yAsy
Laws. applied to particular e,ses, and Of details
and illustrations to mako the regulations and in
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volunlhous
and are printed in quantities too small for general
| circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
ngs, 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 are
highly useful in themselves as far az they 60, and
some of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of all nor if thew 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 safI
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 supplv
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities
Ii we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary Offices more uniform, methodical, 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 least-apart from, and independently of
any party or personal interest or question what
ever. sab Hs seIt
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-Of6ce 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-
many years previously, had been, first in the War
Department, and subsequently in tho 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 iatters himself he has
| preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
present incumbents of the departments, land is on
becoming terms Of intercourse and civiIity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduounly
49, Ca .uS.l ~...
sonni 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 ac-
ton, and for impartng 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 paper, so as to
afford time for obtaining from the Department..
all the ORDERS notices and changes issued or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables q ,
| 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 in one
month from the time of these issues, there are of
fees in the tables which no longer in operafonQ
and Offices in operation which not in the tablesn
| At this time there 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 nre 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 modif-
cations made In each month, and by being filed
| and preserved, will afford to postmasiers full and
| exact information upon both subjects, up 10 and
for time being. How much of the present misdi-
rection, remaiIing, doubt, confusion, error, and
| impositon 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, or
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office system--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 or national interest, will find place
! in this paptr. .
| Adepartment Of our paper addressing itself not
merely TO postmasters and other officers of the
| Government but to all other citizens who give at
tenon TO the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development Of the {. untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or ars-
ing in Congress-, At each session vast deal Of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
eress 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, which
from time TO time appear in the public papers,
IRE standing number printed Of each document
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
md Gprteeul hundred in the House OF Representa-
s,ve,. which at once shows the imPracticabty Of
their dissemination. The ApvsRrsER will con-
tim short abrdgments or analysis Of all these
Arguments and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
,s,rnrt;ve in itself but will furnish easy index
In those interested whenever il IN found desirable
TO obtain and examine the document at large.