The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-22
THE
UNIFIED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFTCL4L ADVERTISER.

AND OFF9CLaL ADVERTISER.
G- To sAov schst Is done, and ohd should be done,
IN Office. ~ET
rs1.s - ~ w1 W Editor, and Preprislor'.
TERns- The United States Postal Guide and
Official advertssr," constituting about 81 sppsr-rOyal
oeiauo pages, Is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per amman, payable IN aepance--or five
dollars tor Hr copies ordered al amy one lime.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now emtprk, and
Of which this paper is at once the commencement,
and sample Of the papers that are to follow, has
for its aim no less purpose, than TO impart IN
struction in the general and detail, to the Officers
and Agents of the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and to make them,
and the people al large, acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith-
erto Teen no 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, in the absence Of the construction Of those
Laws, as applied particular cases. and of details
| and Illustrations to make the regulations and In
structions Ineligible The valuable documents
annually reported TO Congress, are too voluminous
and printed in quantities too small for general
lcirculaton; whilst the debates in Congress and
1.-The commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
ings, and the proceedings Of the Executive branch
j 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 they 60, 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
can render the discharge of public duty either safe
or easy whether in respect 10 the incumbent him.
N ant or burp
acts We shall make an honest effort to supply
this vacuum, and 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
ldcpartments 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.
1t is known to most Of those TO whom this pa
4 per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Post-Ofhce 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
g 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 or the
present incumbents of the departments, and Is on
5 becoming terms Of intercourse and civiity with
, them all The Junior Editor has been asssduousy
Q engaged for several years, in studying, by per.
: sona1 inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-OfRce and
other branches Of the public business. II is will
this stock Of experience, and these advantages oi
reaching the various sources of administrative &C
ton, 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 as
1.-THE day for the publication of our paper, so MS to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the ORDERS notices and changes issued, or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables OF
n Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws and
4, Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. IL 10 a
matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
Il hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
month from the time Of these issues there are Of
fees in the tables which are 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
4 of which many postnasters 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 modIi.
cations, made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford u postmasters full and
:, sxac information upon both subjects, up to and
: for time being. How much Of the present msdi-
reo4ion, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
I, imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
: of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
!, provided, and for which we engage, every intell-
: zen, postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently Of all
!, others nre 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
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity ana
Il efficiency Of the whole Post Office sysem-at once
Il IN subecribe 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 or national interest, will find place
in this papec. :.
/ A department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely 10 pustn,asters and other officers OF the
\ Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenon to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development Of the q untry, Will embrace IN
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or aris-
ino In Congress- At each session vast deal OF
! valuable information is communicated TO Con-
oress bv the several departments and their subor-
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
| reports are mnds by committees OF both Houses.
But the great mass Of the community enow moth
(! ing of the contents Of these documents and re-
ports, except the brief notices of them which
i from time 10 time APpear in the public papers.
4 The standing number printed Of each document
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives, which at once shows the lmpracucao,i'y OF
| ,be;r dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tnin 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 easy index
10 those interested whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
Their. is large field before us, the materials are
annie. II 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 nropose to give, comprehendng and confined
70 Tie action Of the Government, is solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
cerN,f not to the citizen. II is intended for all,
- -. :. n rr,re which can consttute no obstacle