The southern press., 1851-04-11
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
and OFFICIAL .4DVERTYSER

~ 40 "0" iohaf Is doae, and iohat should be done,
PETER G. wAsurseroM' 'j
CHARLES M. WILLARD, Editors and Proprisfors.
o,I EhMs. -" The United States Postal Guide and
Nle'@ .1dpertser, containing about 30 spper-rogaL
oefapo pages, IS published monthly for ONE DOL
Lar ONLY, per annnn, payable in adpance--oy.. fire
doHms Jor sr copies ordered al any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
OF which tins paper is at once the commencement,
and sample of the papers that are 10 follow, has
for It's ann no less purpose, than to 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
zation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government There has hiih-
erto Eeen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of lnstruc
tons, more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate 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 yolumino,ls
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulatop; 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
Sehera 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 az thew 60 and
some OF them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of all nor if they did,
40 they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
Piles, 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 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 ex
tent at east-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-Otce 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, 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
present incumbents of the departments, und is on
| becoming terms Of intercourse and civIlity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofiice 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 lmpartlDg minute and Illustrative
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
| the day for the publication of our paper, to
afford hme for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
by them during the preceding MONTH Tables o.
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once IN two or three years. IL is
matter of inconvenience and complaints for which
hitherto there has been no remedy, that in
month from the time of these issues, there Of
fees in the tables which no longer in operation
and Offices IN operation which are 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 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 each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmas'ers full aud
| exact information upon both subjects, up TO and
for time being. How much of the present misd-
rection, remalIing, 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 ntelli-
gent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently Of all
I al. Il.
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
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--at once
to subscribe. The 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 national interest, will find place
IN this paptr
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely to pvstmasters and other officers of the
Government but TO all other citizens who give at
ention the affairs OF the nation and the progress
and development of the e. 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-
gress, by the several departments and their subor-
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports 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.
The standing number printed Of each docume
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House or Representa-
tives which at once shows the mpractIcabty OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
to those interested whenever it is found desirable
TO obtain and examine the document at large
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t will be our Jealous care TO collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable us to accomplish it ALL The information
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful,
and Eve might almost say) necessary TO the Off
cer--f not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all,
and put at price which constitute no obstacle