The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-17

PErxR q WAsnrserox, -,
IhhMs. =" The United States Postal Guide aax
Official .fdrerer," containing about ~ svpsy-rouat
oefaro pages, IS published monthly Jbr osE Dot
Ian ONLY, PER """""a' payable ~ adrance---or fire
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise IN which We now embark, and
OF which this paper is at once the commencement,
and aample Of the papers that to follow, as
for its aim less purpose, than to inpart in-
structon, in the general and detail, 10 the Officer
and Agents ofthe 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 hilh
erto Leen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind The
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of Instrue
lions, or less comprehensive, and at intervals
4 wess or ieav extended. have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence OF the construction Of hoss
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 voumino,is
and are printed in quantities too small tor general
circulation; whilst the Debates in Congress and
| the commentaries of the press upon their proceed
inga, and the proceedings Of the Executive branch
of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
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 il much
that do not reach the hands Of all nor if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
plies, for the despatch OF the public business which
can render the discharge of public duty either safb
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 uniform, methodical, and ey
act we shall make the administrative duties of tho
departments more easy and effective, and thereby
promote the real and substantial interests OF the
country And this we expect to do, to some exs
tent at east--apar from, and independently OF
any party or personal interest or question what
ever. ~
| Ii Id known 10 mos, OF those to whom this pa
per will be sent that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Post-Oflce Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both postnasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. He en-
tered the department fourteen years sincc and for
many wears 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 il on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he ilatters himself he has
: preserved the respect and regard OF most OF the
! presert incumbens of the departments, and is
becoming terms of intercourse and civillty with
them ALL The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
, engaged for several years, iii studying, by per-
i sona inquiry and examination, the practical and
I'd daily routine and details of the Post-Offce and
other branches of the public business. Ii is with
this stock Of experience and these advantages for
reaching the various sources OF administrative &C
ton, and for impartilg minute and Illustrative in
I structioll, and valuable periodical and statistical
| information, that 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, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments.
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables or
Post Offices and compilations of the Laws ana
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
| ment only once in two three years. 1t is n
! matter of Inconvenience aud 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 longer in op. satione
and offices III operation which not in the tabless
AT this time there perhnpe over three thousand
offices of the two descriptions. Ina like manner
D laws have been passed and regulations established
since the issue of the ast volume of regulations,
: of which many postmasters and others wholly
!, ignorant. We propose TO prevents for the present,
any increase of the evil of either KIND, and from
5 The time another issue shall be made our paper
] will furnish the additions. corrections, and modf
1 Cations made Ia each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford 10 postmasters full and
: exact information upon both subjects, up to and
8 | for time being. How much of the present misdi-
4 rsction remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
,mposltion will be saved by the progressive state
4 ~ '6,Il and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided, and for which we engage, every intelli-
gent postnaster 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, 1t IL hoped, induce every
l postmaster who feels ust pride in his Office o.
patriotc regard for the credit, prosperity. an
efficiency OF the whole Post Office system onsg
to subscribe. The same considerations apply t.
the orders and notices, decisions, and instruction
OF the War Navy, Treasury, State, aud Interlo
ldennrtments and the same course is intended in
resnect no them Notices Of the decisions OF the
Supreme Court, In cases turning upon questions
of ofcial duty or national interest," VIII ind place
r IN this pa,sr
, merely to pustmasters and other officers of the
!, Government but to all other citizens who give
tent;on 10 the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the g untry, viii embrace in a
| condensed form the matters submitted to, or arisl
| ;,o in Congress At each session vast deal of
| valuable information is communicated 10 Con-
gress. by the several departments and their sabor.
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
repor,n are made by committees of both Houses
. r., IN. great MACS Of the community know moth
II inc of the contents OF these documents and re-
, ports except the brief notices or them, which
from Zine to time appear IN the public papers,
The standing number printed OF each documet
A snd renort Il only twelve hundred in the Senate
: .nd sony,esn hundred in the House OF Representa-
,ysa which AT once shows the inPract,cabIlIty OF
tn.;r dissemination. The Aoyrsusss Will con-
tam abort abudgmen,s or snaysI OF all these
oocuments and reports, and the co mpend will
therefore not only prove excesdn dy. useful and
instructive in itself but viii furnish easy index
to those Interested, whenever 1t IL founi destrshka
I %, obtain and examine the documen hreef
There is large field before us, the materials are
,mple II viii be Jealous care 10 collect and
| arrange them in the prope form. We have every
confidence thu, the subscriptions will b~ ample Is
enable us TO accomplish IL ALL The information
we propose 10 give, conprehsoding ard con6ned
20 tie action Of the Government, IL souI, uscfu l.
and 1--WE might almost say nscessnry'to The Off
cer--if not TO the citizen. II Is nsnJsd for air
and pat at price which cco constitute no obstacle
with any II at the end Of the venr any sus,scrlber