The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-30
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
IND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER

~ :" '""" o"a' Is done, aud sohai should be done
lp.r,s n VIZ :" q0'ee,-SH st l
CnAalrs Nj. w mnssp Editor, and pyep,isiors!
= tA"s -" The United States Postal Guide and
Wc'" .'aperf'ser, containing about 81 sppsy-yovaL
oe'aOo pages, Is published monthly for ONE DOL
Lam oHLr' per an'sum payable in adpuuce- ar fine
dollars for sir copies ordered. ~
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise IN which we now embark. and
Of which this paper is at once the commencement
and sample or the papers that are to follow, las
for its ann no less purpose, than TO impart in
struclon, IN the general and 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 organs
iznton, 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 al intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quete, in the absenoe Of the construction on those
Laws, as applied to particular cases, and OF details
and illustrations Ia make the regulations and in.
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too vouminous
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in CONGRESS- and
the commentaries of tho press upon their proceed
ings, and tho 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
Fhighly useful in themselves far as they go and
some of them Indispensable but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of ALL nor if thew did,
| do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
pies, for the despatch Of the public business whic
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, metho dical 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 or personal interest or question what
| ever. ...f..,t.k
| 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 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 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
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms of intercourse and civity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduousy
|, 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 II is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various of administrative &C
ton, and for impartine 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 andchanges 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 three years. Ii 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 no longer in operations
and offices in operation which are not in the tablesl
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 postmasters and others are wholly
ignorant. We propose TO prevent, for the present
any increase Of the evil of either kind, and from
> the time another issue shall be made, our paper
! will furnish the additions, corrections, and modf
: cations made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postnasters full and
: exact information upon both subjects, up to and
! for time being. How much Of the presen, misdi-
| rection remaiIng, 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 nteli
, gent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently Of al
others, are worth many times the price charg,
for the paper, and will, it is hoped, induce every
nostmaster who feels a Just pride in his Office o
q patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, an,
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--at ono.
to subscribe. The same considerations apply t6
HE orders and notices, DECISIONS and instruction
Of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interio
ld.nart,oents and the snme course is intended in
. res,sct 10 them Notices Of the decisions of tbs
8 supreme Court in cases turning upon question:
/ of official duty national interest, will find plac'
y in this pausr-
2 merely 10 pustmasters and other officers of the
Tovernment, but to all other citizens who give at
ention TO the affairs Of the nation and the progress
i and development Of the q untry, will embrace in o
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
inc in Congress. At each session deal OF
v.7uahle information is communicated TO Con
gress. by the several departments and their subor
s dipate bureaus, and profound and comprehensvt
y reports are made by committees OF both Houses
: But the great mass Of the community know moth
$ no of he contents of these documents and re-
n nn,,s eyccnt the brief notices Of them, which
rom t;me 10 time appear in the public papers
The standing number printed of each documel
! and report is only twelve hundred IN the Senate
) and fourteen hundred IN the House OF Representa-
i ,,ys which at once show the ImPracticsbiIity OF
i their d; .aeminntion. The ApvEsnsER will con.
!. IAN short abridgments or analysis of all these
aocomen,s and reports, and the co mpsnd will
!, therefore not only prove excesdnsyI useful and
,n.ruc;ve in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
90 those interested, whenever it is found desirable
20 obtain and examine the documen at large
Their. is large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t will be our Jealous care to collect and
: arrange them in the prope. form. We have every
confidence that the SUBSCRIPTIONS will be ample to
enable MS to accomplish il all. The Information
we propose 10 give, comprehending and eonhned
10 the action Of the Government, is solid, usefu
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary TO the off
cer-,f not to the citizen. IL is intended for ali
and put at a price which can constitute obstacle
with any Fiat the end Of the year any sibscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value OF