The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-11
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND Official ADVERTISER
~ To shOic ohat Is done, aud ,chat should be done
IA qDes-~sU
CHARLES M N W,lEanD Editors and prop,istors
TsRas. 80 The United States Postal Guide and
oglel@ .1doert'ser, containing about 80 sppsr-yoyai
ocfauo pages, Is published monthly ef ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per aanuin, payable Ia aduance-or Ave
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 sample of the papers that are to follow as
for its aim no less u purpose, than 10 impart in
struction, in the general and detail to the Officer
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
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith
erto teen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instrur
lions, more less comprehensive, and ut intervals
more OF 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 Ineligible. The valuable documents
ANNUALLY reported TO Congress, are too voumnous
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circuaton 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 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, if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
pies, for the despatch Of the public business which
render the discharge Of public duty either safs
or easy, whether IN respect to the incumbent him
self, or the department or bureau under which he
E acts. We shall make honest effort to supply
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities.
five succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary offices more uniform, methodica, and ex
act, shall make the administrative duties of the
departments more easy and elective, 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.
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-Oflice 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 latters himself he has
o preserved the respect and regard of most Of the
I, present incumbents of the departments and Is on
y becoming terms Of intercourse and civIIty with
: them ALL The Junior Editor has been asssduouay
! | engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
II sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
&c daily routine and details of the Post-Oflice and
u other branches Of the public business. Itis with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac.
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that 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
Il afford time for obtaining from the departments
1t 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. 1t is
n matter Of inconvenience and complaint for which
: hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
s month from the time of these issues, there are off
fees i'm the tables which longer in operatonf
r and Offices in operation which in the tables
n AT this time there perhaps three thousand
Offices of the two descriptions. In like manner
n laws have been passed and regulations established
d since the issue of the last volume of regulations
} of which many postmasters and others wholly
), ignorant We propose prevent, for the present
d any increase of the evil of either kind, and from
IS the time another issue shall be made, our paper
al will furnish the additions, corrections, and modif
r. cations made In each month, and by being filed
= and preserved will afford to posmasers full and
r exact information upon both subjects, up TO and
Is for time being. How much of the present misdi-
2 rection, remailing, doubt, confusion, error and
If 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-
= cent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently of all
5 others, are worth many times the price we charge
' for the paper and will, 1t is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels Just pride in his Office or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at ono .
| to subscribe The same considerations apply r.
the orders and notices, decisions, and instruction
OF the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and interior
denortments and the course is intended in
respect to them. Notices of the decisions of the
20 Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
Of official duty or national interest, will find place
,r in this papsr.
. department of our paper addressing itself not
q merely 10 postmasters and other officers of the
81 Government but to all other citizens who give at
ention 10 the affairs of the nation and the progress
= and development of the {, untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
| inc in Congress AT each session vast deal Of
valuable information is communicated to Com
oress bv the several departments and their subor-
! dinate bureaus and profound and comprehensive
, reports are made by committees of both Houses
! But the great mass of the community know moth
= inc of the contents of these documents and re-
: norts except the brief notices of them, which
from time TO time appear IN the public papers,
The standing number printed of each document
i and renort. is only twelve hundred in the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
, tives, which at once shows the impracucsbIlty of
,,e;r dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
t.,n short abridgments analysis of all these
documents and reports. and the co mpend vii
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish easy index
20 those interested, whenever it is found desirable
20 obtain and examine the documen at large
There is large field before us, the materials are
ample 1t will be our jealous care collect and
arrange them in the prope form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable us to accomplish It ALL The information
we propose to give, comprehendng and confined
10 the action Of the Government is sod useful
uaitrhi alnnst To- tho