The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-14

PETER G.. WAsnrseroN.
CnsnIEs M. WILLARD, Editors and Proprietors-
o.i hhMs.- The United States Postal Guide and
CBie'af .idpe'ttSer,' ooniainng abol 40 sro,yo,aL
oefaco pages, Is published naoaihlu AR oSr no.,
LAn ONLY, per anhin., payable ia aduance--or fus
doi'"'S Jor SAC copies ordered at any one lime
PREPARATORY NOTICE
| The enterprise in which we now embark anil
OF which this paper is at once the commencement
and sample OF the papers that are TO follow, tas
for its aim no less purpose, than to impart IN
struction, in the general aud 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 hlh
ero been vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc
tons, or 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
ind illustrations to make the regulations and in
structions Ineligible The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are voluminous
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 Elk branch
of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
| party ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
| highly useful IN themselves as far 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 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, methodical and ev
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 ex
tent at least--apart from, and independently of
any party or personal interest or question what
ever. faf
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 postnlasters 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, 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 natters himself he has
! preserved the respect and regard OF most of the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
e becoming terms of intercourse and cviity with
n engaged fdWseveral years. in studying, by per-
II sona inquiry and examination, the practical and
u daily routine and details Of the PostOffce and
other branches of the public business 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for importing minute and illustrative in
sructon, 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
III Ia,y ,,rl,l of n,
i afford time for obtaining from the Departmental
all the orders, notices and changes issued, mndt
by them during the preceding month. Tables
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
Regulations, 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 remedy, that IN one
month from the time of these issues there of
fees in the tables which are no longer IN operation
and Offices in operation which not IN the tables
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 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
I, will furnish the additions, corrections, and mod6-
cations made IN each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
exoct information upon both subjects, up to and
!, for time being. How much of~tbe present misdi-
, | rection remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
of full and exact knowledge, for which have
? provided and for which we engage, every inte-
cent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently of all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
J for the paper and will it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his Office, or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
effciencv 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
s Supreme Court, IN cases turning upon questions
/ of official duty national interest, will find place
Department of our paper addressing itself not
z merely to postmasters and other officers of the
Q Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tention TO the affairs of the nation and tue progress
L and DEVELOPMENT of the untry will embrace in n
CONDENSED form the matters submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
| valuable information is communicated to Con-
oress bv the several departments and their subor-
dinnte bureaus and profound and comprehensive
. reports are made by committees of both Houses
Rnt the great mass OF the community know moth.
mo of the contents Of these documents and re-
. ports. except the brief notices of them, whch
from time to time appear IN the puohc papers
THE standing number printed Of each documeEt
u and report is only twelve hundred IN the Senate,
) and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
/ ves. which at once shows the mpractlcability of
J their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain. short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
, ,nerorore not only prove exceedingly useful and
: instructive in itself, but will furnish easy index
10 those interested whenever It is found desirable
20 obtain and examine the document at large
There is large field before us, the materials are
annie. II will be our Jealous TO collect and
! arrange them in the proper FORM We haye every
. confidence that the subscriptions will be ample TO
enable us to accomplish it all. The Information
I, we propose to give, comprehendng and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cer-.f not TO the citizen. II is intended for all,
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
, with any. fat the end of the year, any subscriber
shall find that he has received the full value of