The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-07-25

| Washngton CITY
UNITED STATES PosTALGUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
~ To shoD what is done, aud phat SHOULD be done
in e6cs.-4U
cM1N1rs M 1 W"s.r' Editors snd Perpetrators
! TERns.-" The United Staies Postal Guide aud
Official .9duertiser," containing about 80 svper-royai
ocf0uo pages, IS published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per snns's, payable in adpance--or fire
dollars fer az copies ordered AZ any time
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now embark, AMI
Of which this paper is at once the commencement,
and sample of the papers that are to follow, an
for its 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 rghts, and TO make them.
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
ixation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partmsnts Of their Government. There has hith
erto tesn no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind. The
tpublicatca of the Laws and the issue of irstrur
tons, or less comprehensive, and al intervals
more or lens extended, hAse proved wholly made
quate in tho absence Of the construction Of those
Laws applied to particular cases, and Of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
structons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too 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 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, 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, or 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 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
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 Audi
tor of the Post-Ofice 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.
|
understanding the arrangements Of business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry il on Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he natters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
preseGt incumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms Of intercourse and civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonaI inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
Il H. L.... IT,. =
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative
fon and for imparting 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
the day for the publication of our paper, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the ORDERS notices and changes issued, 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. 1t ia q
| 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 off
fees in the tables which are no longer in operatone
and Offices in operation which not in the tables1
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, Tor the present,
| the time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modf-
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 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 or 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 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 or the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, Will ind place
in this pap<r . . .
A Department of our paper addressing itself not
| merely 10 postn,asers and other officers of the
Government but to all other citizens who give at
ention to the affairs Of the natonand the progress
and development of the untry, will embrace in "a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arIs-
inc in Congress. AT each session a vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
eress, by the several departments and their subor
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
repor,s 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 document
and renort. liz only twelve hundred in the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
,;vss which ut once shows the impractcability Of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abrdgments 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 an easy index
20 those interested whenever it is found desirable