The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-21

= IN e6ee.=sIS rle 4
cnAsnns M. 1 WmHssD Editors and PropriAsors.
TERMs. =" The United State, Posta! Guide and
Official Advertiser" containing about 30 sppsr-royai
ocfapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annttm, payable in adpanee--or fbe
dollars for sir copies ordered at any one A~3.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
or which this paper Is at once the commencement,
and sample Of the papers that are to follow, has
for It's aim no less u purpose, than TO impart in
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
lzaton, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith-
erto Eeen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instsuc
tons, or less comprehensive, and atintsrvals
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
structons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported TO Congress, are too voluminous
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
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 far as they go, 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
ples for the despatch Of the public business which
can render the discharge of public duty either safe
or easy, whether in respect 10 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, methodlcal, 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 or 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 Post-Oiice 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, aud subsequently in the Treasury.
He has therefore had the best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements or 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 tile respect ana regard OF most OF the
preseft incumbents of the departments, and il on
becoming terms Of intercourse and civiiy with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduousy
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Otfice and
other branches of the public business. It is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various of administrative ac-
ton, and for imparting minute and Illustrative
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, so to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued made
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. 1t 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
hces in the tables which are no longer in ope alton
and Offices in operation which are not in the tables
At this time there 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 postiaasters 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
cations, made IN each month, and by being filed
and preserved will afford to postniasters full and
exact Information upon both subjects, up TO and
for time being. How much of the present nlisGj-
rection, remaIing, doubt, confusion, error, and
i'm 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 can estimate for himself. y, ~,
| These advantages alone and Independently OF all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and will, II is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels just pride in his Office, OF
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office systenn--at once
to subscribe. The same considerations apply 10
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 pnnr.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
merely TO pustmasters and other officers of this
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tenton 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 Com
gress, by the several departments and their subor-
dinate- bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports made by committees Of both Houses
1
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 I
and report is only twelve hundred in the Senate
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tves, which at once shows the impracticability 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 aud
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 a large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t viii 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 it all. The information
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the OH
cer--lf not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all,
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any. fiat the end Of the year. any subscriber