The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-25

a. Individuals may forward ~ amoest oi their
subscriptions at our rsk. Addseas, QestPaiD
ELLwOOD rIsHKH
washingtos City.
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL .aDYERTTSER.
n To shsU vhst u done, and sohat should BE- do~s,
IN Q6ace.-kU a
crAs.s. NJ Wmssse' Editor, and proprissors
TERms. -" Ths United States Postal Guide and
Qcial .ddvertssr," containing about 80 svper-royaL
octave pages, Is ptsblisked monthly for ONE pol
Lar ONLY, per AMMAN, poyoble in adoance-o,.- fpe
dollars for six copies ordered at any time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper 10 at once the commencement,
and sample Of the papers that are to follow, has
for its ann no less purpose, than 70 impart in
structon, in the general and detail, 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 organ
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith-
erto Eeen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of instruc
tons, more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence 3f the construction Of those
Laws as applied particular cases, and of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
structons 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 AZ far they go, 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 uniforms 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 east-apart from, and independently Of
any party or personal interest or question what
| ever.
1t ia 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
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 Aatters 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 civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduouSly
engaged for several years, IN studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ohice 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
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, 80 Ms to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
by them during the preceding month. Tables o.
! Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. II is a
matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been remedy, that in one
month from the time of these iss1nr, there are Of
fees in the tables which no Ion in operation
and Offices in 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 postmasters and others 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 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-
rection, remailing, 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 engage, every intelli-
gent postmaster 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 off@, or
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office systsm--at once
to subscribe. The same considerations apply to
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 or national interest, will find place
in this papsr
A department of our paper addressing itself not
n merely to postmasters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tention to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development Of the T., dntry, will embrace in a
condensed form the matters submitted to- or aris-
ing in Congress. AT each session a 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 10 time appear in the public papers.
The standing number printed Of each document
and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate.
tives which at once shows the mpracticability OF
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will COM
tain short abridgments or analysis Of all these
documents and reports, and the compend win
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
~, 49,. Interested whenever il il found deairahlA