The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-21
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.


AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER,
u.s. 10 sholo tchat is DONE aud lohat should be done
in q1ice.=kU
PETER q WAsHrNcroN, rJ;,o.. =, j p.oa,;.,o,. a..
CHARLES M. WILLIAM, """ 'T'' '"'''
Terms. -" The United States Postal Guide and
tct"l Advertiser, containing about 80 spper-royat
ocfaro pages, is published monthiy for ONE pol
LAR ONLY, per onasuas, payable IN adpance-or 1--WE
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
of which this paper is at once the commencement,
and a sample Of the papers that to follow, has
for it's aim no less purpose, than to impart in
struction, in the general and detail, to the Officers
and Agents Oft American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and To make the,n
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 Teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
Of information Of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue Of instruc-
tons, or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence of the construction OF those
Laws, applied to particular eases, and of details
and illustrations TO make the regulations and in
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voumnous,
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
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
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 if they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
pies, 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 mefhodicai 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 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 Posl-Of,ice Department until the month
Of November last; with by far the larger portion
Of both pos;masers and contractors, he has had
dlrect.intercourse, IN person or by letter. III 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 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 civty 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-0fce and
other branches Of the public business. II is with
In. or1 diva f,,
rcnching the various sources Of administrative &C.
lion, and for mparting minute and Illustrative
struction, 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 as
the day for the publication Of our paper, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued made
by them during the preceding month. Tables of
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only in two or three years 1t is IA
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 Of
fees in the tables which no longer in ope alton,
and offices in operation which 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 or regulations,
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 postmasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much of the present msdi-
reotion, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
.imposlton will be saved by the progressive state
Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided and for which we engage, every intelIi-
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
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--at
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 turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, will find place
IN this PAPER.
department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely to pvstmasters and other officers OF the
Government but to all other citizens who give at
ention TO the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the @ untry, will embrace IN a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arls-
ing in Congress. At each session q 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-
tives, which at once shows the mpractcability Of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abrdgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, bu, will furnish an easy index
TO those interested, whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large.
Their. is a large field before us, the materials
ample IL will be our jealous care 10 collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable us to accomplish 1t all. The information
we propose TO give, comprehending and confined
10 the action Of the Government, is SOLID, useful,
md 1--WE might almost say necessary to the off
rer-f not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all !
md put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with anv fat the end Of the year, any subscriber