The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-24
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER

3 10 sho,c What Is dosse and ,rhat should be done,
IN q5ice.~kI
cnARIrs M ~H W"ss Editors and Propieto,s
Terms. -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official advertiser" containing about 32 spperroyat
ocfauo pages, is published monthly for ONE Doll
LAR ONLY, per annus, payable IN adrance--or Gue
doHars for sir copies ordered al any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper il at once the commencement.
and sample Of the papers that are to follow, has
for its aim no less purpose, than TO impart 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 ut large acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
pnrtments Of their Government. There has hith--
erto teen no vehicle for the regular ind proper
communication Of information OF this kind. Tho
qualification Of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
tons, more or less comprehensive, and 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
structons ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volumnous,
and 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
party ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their various forms
highly useful in themselves rs 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
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
J 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
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.
4 1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be SENT that the Senior Editor Audi
tor Of the Post-Ofiice Department until the month
] Of November last; with by far the larger portion
' Of both postmasers and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, IN person or by letter. lie 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 hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most OF the
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
u becoming terms of intercourse and civilty with
e them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
:, engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
y sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ohice and
e other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages fol
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
y ton, and for mparing minute and illustrative In
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, so as TO
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or made
D by them during the preceding month. Tables Of
D Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
D Regulations, issued by the Post Office Depart
D ment only once in two or three years. 1t is a
D matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
, hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there Of
fees in the tables which are no longer in operation,
and Offices in operation which not in the tables.
At this time there perhaps over three thousand
b 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
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 modii-
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 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 systemat 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, VIII ma place
in this papHr.
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
ention to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development of the G. unry, 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
\
mo 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 impracticabiy OF
!, their dissemination. The Advertiser will con-
> tain short abridgments analysis Of all these
! documents and reports, and the compend will
, therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
to those interested, whenever II is found desirable
> To obtain and examine the document at large.
There is large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t will be 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 it all. The information
we propose to give, compromising and confined
10 the action Of the Government, is solid, useful,
and 1--WE might almost say necessary TO the ofh-
cer-f not to the citizen. ii is intended for all,
and nut at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any HAT the end Of the year, any subscriber