The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-18
HHl" THE nftrtt iN
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUINE-
IND OFFICL4L .aDVERTTSEP


UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICLdL .aDVERTTSER.
III 10 sboo tohat Is done, and ,ohat should be done
-. IN Office .@sIs a"a t'AFa
Letter r. NJ wH W' Editors and prop,ietoys.
TERMs.'' The United States Postal Guide and
Official .adueriiser, containing abo, 80 sppsr-royaI
octave pages, Is published monthly for ONE Of
LAR ONLY, per annum, payable IN adpanee--or.. fre
dollars for six copies ordered 1t any one time. W
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, 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 a purpose, than to impart in-
structon, 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 hilh-
erto Keen vehicle for the regular and propee
communication Of information of this kind. Th..
publication of the Laws and the issue of fnstruc
lions, more 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
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 they go, 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 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, meihodical, 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 expect to do, to some ex-
tent at least-apart from, and independently Of
any party or personal interest or question what
ever t1
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-Ofice Department until the month
| of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both posluasters 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 CORY it on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he flatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
preset incumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms Of intercourse and civty with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduou3y
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
other branches of the public business. 1t with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for mparting 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
| the day for the publication of paper, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
| all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
by them during the preceding month. Tables 0.
| Post Offices and compilations of the Laws and
| Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
| ment only once IN two or three years II Is
| 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 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 posttDasters and others are wholly
ignorant We propose TO prevent, for the present,
the time another issue shall be made our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modifi-
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 estimate for himself. ltau
Il Al
/ others, are worth many times the price 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 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 paper.
! A department of our paper addressing itself not
| merely to postmasters and other officers of the
Government, but all other citizens who give at
tenton 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 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 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 report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tiyes which at once shows the impracticablity OF
! their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports and the compend win
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish an easy index
10 those interested whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large
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, compromising and confined
to the action OF the Government, is solid, useful
md Luz nnirhi alna0af To, fhn off