The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-12


PErnR G.. WAsHrseroN,
Terms. 80 The United STATES Postal Guide and
O0lcial ADVERTISER" containing abo,lt % s,oeyo,ay
oe'a'o pages, Is published monthly hr ONE POI
LAR ONLY, per annun,, payable in adnoae~-", a., NJ.
dollars for si1 copies ordered -
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now eroha~,a I'D
or which TINS paper Is at once the commencement.
and sample of the papers that are to follow tas
for its aim no less purpose, than 10 imnsrt;n
suuction, in the general and detail, to the ot,;ear
and Agents ofthe American public, in res ,ect both
| to their duties and their rights, and to make Them.
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
izatlon, 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 instrur
tons, more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate in the absence Of the conalruction or 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 yoluminous
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the Debates in Congress and
the commentaries of the press upon their proceed
ngs, 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
pies, for the despatch Of the public business which
can render the discharge of public duty either SAT.
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, methodica, 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 ey,
| tent at least--apart from, and independently of
any party 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-Othce 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 natters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
becoming terms of intercourse and cviity with
them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduousy
, engaged for several years, In studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
6 daily routine and details of the Pos-Oifice and
other branches of the public business 1t is with
this stock Of experience and these advantages for
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
the day for the publication of 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 az
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
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 off
fees in the tables which are no longer in ope alionf
and offices in operation which in the tables
| At this time there perhaps 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 are wholly
ignorant. We propose TO prevent, for the present
anv increase Of the evil of either 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 postmasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much of the present misdi-
rectiou remang, doubt, confusion, error, and
| imposition will be saved by the progressive state
| of fll and exact knowledge, for which we have
| provided, and for which we engage, every intelli-
GENT postmaster estimate for himself
| These advantages alone and lndependentyof all
i others are worth many times the price we charge
| for the paper and will IL is hoped, induce every
| postmaster who feels just pride in his office, or
| a natriotic regard for the credit prosperity and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at once
| TO subscribe The same considerations apply t6
the orders and notices, decisions, and instruction
of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interiol
denartments. and the same course is intended in
respect 10 them. Notices of the decisions OF the
| Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty or national interest, viii find place
i'm this paytr
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
enfion TO the affairs OF the nation and the progress
and development of the {, untry, will embraceina
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or aris-
| ing in Congress. AT each session vast deal OF
valuable information rs communicated to Con-
gress. bv the several departments and their subor-
| dinate bureaus and profound and comprehensive
reports are made by committees of both Houses
| But the grea, mass Of the community know moth
| ine of the contents of these documents and re-
1 except the Driei nobcrS vi lnfm, winch
| 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-
| tives which at once shows the impractcability of
their dissemination The ApvEsusER will con-
tam short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the co mpend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish easy index
To- those interested whenever it il found desirable
TO obtain and examine the documen ut large
There is a large field before us, the materials are
ample II will be our Jealous care collect and
arrange them in the prope : form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample To
enable us to accomplish II all. The information
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
TO the action OF the Government, is solid usefN I,
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary to the Off
cer-if not to the citizen Ii is intended for alf
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any. fiat the end of the year, any subscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value of
his money, in intellectual enjoyment and in the