The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-11

| THE
] UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
| .aND OFFTCLaL ADVERTISER
n5- To shop Whst Is done, and What should BE- done,
| IN Office. IN
cnAslEs M. WmIanD' Editors and Propristor'.
TERMS. -" The Uaissd States Postal Guide aud
Official .2dvertiser, containing about 81 spperroysl
ocsavo psgss, 10 Published a.onihly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per anwuns, payable IL advanes--or five
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper s at once the commencement,
and sample Of the papers that are 10 follow, has
for its aim no less purpose, than to lmpArt IN
structon 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
ixation decisions and action of the Executive de-
lpartments 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 instruc-
lions, 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, as applied to particular cases, and Of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
structions intsligible. The valuable documents
ANNUALLY reported to Congress, are too vournnons.
and are 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
r Of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 70
party ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as they co. and
some Of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of ALL 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, methodical 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 least--apart from, and independently OF
any party or personal interest or question what
ever.
: Il is known to most Of those to whom this pa
. per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
u tor Of the Post Office 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 by letter. He en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
!. many years previously had been, first in the War
He has therefore had the best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements of business in all
i the departments and being acquainted with those
Is who carry it on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased he iatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most Of the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is or
q becoming terms of intercourse and ciyility with
n them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
'e engaged for several years, in studying, by per
e sonal inquiry and examination, the practical ant
I, daily routine and details of the PostOfhce ant
other branches Of the public business. II is viii
this stock OF experience, and these advantages fo
e reaching the various sources Of administrative &C
ton and for imparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistica
n information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage. o.,. !,
the day for the publication Of our paper so as tt
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued made
O by them during the preceding month. Tables o.
a Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
0 ment only once in two or three years. 1t is .
o matter Of Inconvenience and complaint, for which
{, hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there are Of
fees in the tables which no longer in operation
and Offices in operation which not in the tables
AZ 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 are wholly
0 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 papel
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modi6
& cations made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
al exact information upon both subjects, up to and
o for time being. How much OF the presenf misdi
q rection, remsiing, doubt, confusion, error, and
q imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
M Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
q provided and for which engage, every intelli-
q gent postmaster estimate for himself
O These advantages alone and independently OF all
M Others are worth many times the price we charge
81 for the paper and will, it is hoped, induce every
al postmaster who feels just pride in his office, or
< patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
q efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at once
a to subscribe. The same considerations apply ia
nj 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 national interest, will find place
in this papsr
:, A department of our paper addressing itself not
y merely to postmasters and other officers of the
y Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenton TO 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 vast deal OF
. valuable information is communicated To Con-
gress by the several departments and their subor-
dinate bureaus and profound and comprehensive
!, 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-
tiyes. which at once shows the impracticabiy Of
|, their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgments 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 an easy index
I to those interested whenever it is found desirable
> IN obtain and examine the document ut large.