The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-18


in oDice.ssI
PETER q. WAsHrsoroS, pt,.,
ChARLEs M. WILLARD, ! A'o''""" '0P''''0''-
TnHMs. =" The United States Postal Guide and
O'o'ai Tdcertser containing about 30 Supey-rouaL
oeiaro pages, is published monthly rbr ONE DOL
Lar ONLY, per amman, payable la adpance-or FIVE
dotfarsJor sir copies ordered.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise IN which now embark and
OF which this paper is at once the commenceroer l.
and sample of the papers that are to follow, fas
for its aim no less purpose, than To impart in
struction, in the general and detail to the Officer
and Agents the American public, in respect botl,
To their duties and their rights, and 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 Leen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instrllc
tons, or less comprehensive and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence of the construction Of those
Laws az 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 vouminot,s.
and printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress aud
| 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 10
| party ends, and to matters of national poeys
These publications IN their various forms are
highly 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 they did
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
ples for the despatch of the public business which
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, 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 ey-
tent at least-apart from, and independently to
any party or personal interest question " hat
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 Office Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both postmasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, III person or by letter. He en-
Tered the department fourteen years snce 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
who carry it on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he 1atters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most of the
present lncumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms of intercourse and civity with
them ALL The Junior Editor has been asssiduousy
engaged for several years, IN studying, by per-
sona inquiry and examinations the practical and
! daily routine and details Of the Post-Offce and
other branches OF the public business. |, is with
this stock OF experience and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative nc
ton, and for impartlng minute and illustrative in
structon, 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 az
the day for the publication of our paper SO as L,
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the ORDERS notices and changes issued, or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables G
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once IN two or three years. 1t is n
matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been remedy that i'm one
month from the time of these issues, there are Of
fees in the tables which no longer in operation
and offices operation which are not in the tables
At 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 postmasers 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 modifl
cations, made each month, und by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
exact information upon botn SUBJECTS, up TO and
for time being. How much of the present misdi,
rection, remang, doubt, confusion, error and
imposton will be saved by the nc, q sssive state
Of full and exact knowledge, for ~hch we have
provided and for which we engage, every intelll-
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
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office system-at once
TO subscribe The same considerations apply 10
the orders and notices, DECISIONS and Instructors
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
3 Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty or natonalinterest, will find place
T in this paptr.
rUNHE undersigned, committee Of publication, on
IL the part OF the Muscogee and Russell Agrcul-