The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-10
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
IND OFFICIAL ADVERTTSFP

- - - IN .Utce. IL
PETER G. WAsHrsaToN,
FERNS The United States Postal Guild, and
tUctai .4dperfssr, containing aboui 30 spDer-yooI
oetavo pages, is published monthly for oNr po,-
LAR ONLY, per a'.nl'm, payable in aduanee-or fire
dollars for sir copies ordered at amy one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which now embark. and
Of which this paper is at the commencement
and sample Of the papers that to follow, has
for its aim no less a purpose, than to impart it,
struction, IN the general and detail, to 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 teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc
ti0ns more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly innde-
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
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too youmnous
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 ehus, ana 10 matters OF NATIONAL policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far az they 90, 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-
Piles, 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.
II we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary Offices more uniform, methodcal, and ex-
act, we shall make the administrative dutierof 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 whats
ever. gl
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, 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 hatters himself he has
present incumbents Of the departments, and is on
becoming terms Of intercourse and civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduou,ly
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sona inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton and for imparting minute and illustrative in
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 paper, so as to
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued or mad,
by them during the preceding month. Tables
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws ana
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 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 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 tne uuultloIS corrections, ana mOdlfl-
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 n just pride in his Office, or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system--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 national interest, viii find place
in this palsr.
department of our paper addressing itself not
merely to postnasters and other officers of the
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, aris-
ing in Congress- At each session vast deal Of
valuable Information is communicated to Con-
,ress, by the several departments and their subor-
Innate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports made by committees Of both Houses
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 docume
and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives which at once shows the imPractIcability OF
their dissemination The ADVERTISER will con-
tsn short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
in itself, but will furnish easy index
% those interested, whenever IT is found desirable
% obtain and examine the document at large.
There is a large field before us, the materials are
,mpe. II will be our jealous care 10 collect and
them in the proper form. We have every
confidence that the subscriptions will be ample TO
nable us to accomplish it all. The information
We propose to give, comprehending and confined
o the action Of the Government, is solid, useful.
nd 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off
eff not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all,
nd put at price which can constitute no obstacle
sith any. fiat the end Of the year, any subscriber