The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-12
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.

s1tO OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
III 10 sho,c What is done and ,ohat should be done,
in Q0fes.-E~u
CHARLES M. 1 Wm.ssD Editors and Prep,istor,.
TERMs. =" The United States Postal Guide and
Official .qdusrisxr, containing about 80 spper-royat
ocfaro pages, is published monthly tbr ONE DOL
Ian ONLY, per anaum, payable IN aduance-or fre
do'1afs for si1 copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
OF which this paper is ut 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 at large, acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith
erto Eeen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
tons, 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 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 yoluminous,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
calculations; 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 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, methodcal, 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 ex-
tent at east--apart from, and independently Of
any party or personal interest or question what
/ ever.
1 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-Oflice 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. lie en-
tered the department fourteen years since and for
many years previously had been first in the War
Department, ard 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
L.
the Government ceased, he Aatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard of most OF the
4 present 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-
sonal inquiry and examinations the practical and
, daily routine and details Of the Post-Office and
other branches of the public business. 1t is with
this stock or experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative
ton, and for Importing minute and illustrative IN
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
l We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month as
the day for the publication of paper so as to
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued made
by them during the preceding month. Tables of
/ Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once IN two or three years. 1t 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 tation,
and Offices in operation which are not in the tables
Al 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 wholly
| ignorant We propose to prevent, for the present
! Ihe time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions corrections and modf
| cations made in each month, and by being filed
aud preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
| exact information upon both subjects, up TO and
| for time being. How much of the presen, 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 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 system--a 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 or national interest, will find place
in this papef.
| A department of our paper addressing itself not
merely to pustmasters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenton the affairs of the nation and the progress
and development of the {, untry, will embrace in
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
| ing in Congress. At each session a vast deal of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress by the several departments and their subor-
reports are made by committees of both Houses.
Bat 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 time appear in the public papers
The standing number printed Of each document
and report, ia only twelve hundred in the Senate.
and fourteen hundred in the House of Representa-
lives, which at once shows the mpracticabty Of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con
tain short abrldgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend viii
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
to those interested whenever it is found desirable
10 obtain and examine the document Mt large
There Is a large field betoro us, the materials are
ample. IL will be our Jealous 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, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, is SOLID, useful,
and (wc might almost say necessary to the Off,
cer--if not to the citizen, Ii is intended for all,
and put al price which can constitute no obstacle
~