The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-11
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.

AND OFFICIAL ADnERTYSER.
III 40 s"oso ~hss Is done, aud phat should be Done
III = ~ qtee. LIN l
caAsIrs NJ 1 Wm1ssn' Editor, and proprie.or,.
IExMs. - The United States Postal Guide and
tUscsdI Advertiser" containing about 80 s,psy-yoyal
ocsauo pages, Is pttbttshsd monthly fbr oNy poI
Lar oALr, per snsaN, pcyable in adponce-or. fire
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark and
Of which this paper ID at once the commencement
and a sample Of tho papers that are to follow, ha
for its aim no less purpose, than to impart in
struction, in the general and detail, to the officer
and Agents the American public, in respect botn
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 hith-
erto teen no vehicle for tho regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
more Or less EXTENDED, nave 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 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 as far as they go, and
some of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of ALL nor il 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, 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 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
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 postmasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. He
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 latters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most of the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
| becoming terms of intercourse and civiIity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduourly
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Office 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 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
the day for the publication of our paper, SO as 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
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 ofces IN operation which are 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 ore wholly
ignorant. We propose to prevent, for the present,
any increase OF Inc evil OF etner KIND, and from
the time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections and modif-
cations, made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford TO posn,ass4rs full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much Of the present misdi-
rectIon, remalling, doubt, c0nflsi0n, 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 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
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system-nt 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 liz 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 papar. H
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely to postmasters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenton to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the country, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to- or aris-
ing in Congress. At ench session a vast deal Of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress, by the several departments and their subor-
uu'ule uurcuu5, anu PTotounu anu COmprenensve
| 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-
tves, which at once shows the mpracticability 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 easy index
to those Interested, whenever it is found desirable
| to obtain and examine the document at large.
There is 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 II ali. The information
we propose to give, comprehendng and confined
to the notion Of the Government, il solid, useful
and Eve might almost say necessary to the Off
cer---if not to the citizen It il intended for ali.
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle