The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-24
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
and OFFICIAL ADVERTISER

=
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER
10 shoU Wkat il done, and what should be do,,e,
in Office. In
prrEs u WAsHrHeros, ra;,ox, nd pvo,,;.,or.
CHARLES Nd. WILLARD, ~" ''r' w.
TxRMs. =" The United States Postal Guide aud
octaUo pages, u published snonthly for ONE DoL-
LAR ONLY, per anauus, payable IN adpunce--or fire
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 sample Of the papers that are to follow, has
for its aim no less purpose, than to impnrt in
struction. in the general and detail, the Officers
and Agents Of the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and 10 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-
ert0 teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
Of information Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instrue-
ltons, more less comprehensive and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence Of the construction Of those
Laws, applied to particular cases, and Of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
annually reported to Congress, are too voluminous,
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 10
marty ends, and to matters Of national policy.
These publications in their various forms
highly useful in themselves far AZ they 60, 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
pies, 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, methodica, and ex-
act, shall make the administrative duties Of the
departments more easy and effective, and thereby
promote the real and substantial interests Of the
4 country. And this we expect to do, to some ex-
tent at lcast--apart from, and independently of
any party or personal interest or question what
| ever.
II 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, 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 fatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard of most OF the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
4 becoming terms of intercourse and ciyility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
i engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofhce and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
Ia. Al r.
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for impartng minute and illustrative in
structon, 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, MS 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 once in two or 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 Of
fees in the tables which no longer in operation,
and Offices in operation which are not in the tables.
At this time there are perhaps 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 Whuy pOslndbtctb hiiu otuVto MC WIouy
ignorant. We propose tn 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 n,odf-
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
| Cor time being. How much of the present misdi-
rection, remaiing, doubt, confusion, error, and
| impositon will be saved by the progressive state
| of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided and for which we 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 office, or
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--at once
1 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 ofcal duty or national interest, will find place
in this PAPER. M
A department Of our paper addressing itself not
merely to pustmasters and other officers of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenon 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 a vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
eress, by the several departments and their subor-
dnate 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 impracticabty OF
their dissemination. The Advertiser will con-
tain short ubridgments 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
to those interested whenever it is found desirable
10 obtain and examine the document at large.
Their. is a large field before us, the materials are
ample 1t will be our jealous care TO collect and
arrange them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable us to accomplish il all. The Information
we propose to give, compromising and confined
to the action Of the Government, IL SOLID, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary to the Off
cer--,f not to the citizen. II is intended for all,
nd nut AT a price which can constitute no obstacle