The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-17
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

-
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL, ADVERTISER.
~ Shoo iohat IS done, aud iohat should be done,
=, ~, IN ejice, - Z ID 4s M
CaAnLrs M. W nnlnu Editors and Propristoyy.
Terms. =" The United STATES Postal Guide and
OD'c'Hi 1dpertiser" containing about ~ spper-youak
octauo pages, is published nlo,,falu s,r onr nor-
Lar ONLY, per anntin, payable in aduance-oy fine
dollars for slr copies ordered at ana one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
| The enterprise In which now embark and
! OF which this paper is ut once the commencement
and sample of the papers that to follow, has
for It's aim no less Il purpose, than to impart in
structon, in the general and detail to the Officer
and Agents ofthe 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-
| partnenls 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 instruc
lions, more or less comprehensive and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, the absence Of the construction Of those
Laws, applied to particular cases, and of details
and illustrations TO make the regulations and in
sructions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too yoIuminous
and are 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 Executive 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
ples 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, 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 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 Ieast--apart from, and independently Of
any party or personal interest or question what
| ever. fftH.i VI .tlf fRarla tra AMUSEMENT
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-Otice 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 flatters himself he has
| preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
| present incumbents Of the departments, and il on
becoming terms Of intercourse and cvity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, In studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Oflce and
other branches of the public business. 1t liz with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton and for inpartne minute and illustrative i'm
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage SOD
| We haye fixed upon the 18th Of each month IA
the day for the publication of our paper, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or mad
| by them during the preceding month Tables
| Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws ana
Regulations are issued by the Post Office Depart
| ment only once in two 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 operation
and Offices in operation which not in the tables
AT this time there are 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
| will furnish the additions, corrections, and modlf-
cations, made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
| exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present misdi-
| rection, remaIling, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
OF fun and exact knowledge, for which we have
| provided, and for which engages every intelIi-
| 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
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office systemat 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 national interest, will find place
/ in this papsr.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
merely TO postmastsrs and other officers Of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tention to the affairs of the nation and the progress
and development of the untry, will embrace in a
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or aris-
ing in Congress. AT each session vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress by the several departments aud 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
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 OF Representa-
tives, which at once shows the mpracticability OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con
tain short abrdgmens 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 is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample. Ii will be our jealous care 10 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
AZ Of the n c.l