The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-15
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.

s1VD OFFICEfL .fDFERIISER
lF 10 shoW 0haf Is done, and what should be done,
IN qDice.~sK
PETER q. WAsHrNcToN, nm,
CHARLEs Nj. WILLARD, Eano's ana ProWset0rS.
Terms. IS The United States Postal Guide and
Official ADVERTISER, containing about 80 spper-royal
octapo pages, is published monthly y0r ONE poL-
LAR ONLY, per annum, payable in adpance--or- fine
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 to follow, has
for its ann no less purpose, than to inpart 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
zation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government There has hith-
erlo teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind The
! publication of the Laws and the issue of Insruc-
iions more less comprehensive, and at 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
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voluminous
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulaton 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
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 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.
If we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary offices more uniform, methodcal, and ex-
act we shall make the administrative duties of the
departments 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 east-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 Post-Ofice 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. 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
f the Government ceased he aatters himself he has
II preserved the respect and regard Of most of the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
= becoming terms of intercourse and clvility with
n them all The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
II engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
IF sonal 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 impartng minute and Illustrative IN
sructon, 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
Z the day for the publication of our paper, to
y 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
II ment only in two three years 1t is
: matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
% hitherto there has been remedy, that in
month from the time of these issues, there of
r fees in the tables which no longer in operation
in and offices in operation which not in the tables
At this time there perhaps over three thousand
in Offices Of the two descriptions. In like manner
I'd laws have been passed and regulations established
D. since the issue of the last volume OF regulations
5, of which many posmasters and others are wholly
I'd ignorant. We propose prevent, for the present.
RS any increase of the evil of either kind, and from
al the time another issue shall be made, our paper
v will furnish the additions, corrections and modi6-
& cations, made IN each month, and by being filed
z and preserved, will afford to postmasers full and
IS exact information upon both subjects, up 10 and
I, for time being. How much Of the present misdi-
,i rection, remailing, doubt, confusion, error and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
n Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided, and for which we engage, every inteli-
. gent postmaster estimate for himself
q These advantages alone and independently Of all
Y others, 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
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
g respect to them. Notices of the decisions of the
i Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, will find place
in this paper
2 department Of our paper addressing itself not
3 merely to postmasters and other officers of the
r 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
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal Of
e valuable information is communicated to Con-
q gress by the several departments and their subor
n dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
; reports are made by committees of both Houses.
"a But the great mass of the community know MOTH
n 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
al and report is only twelve hundred IN the Senate,
J. andlourieen hundred in the House Of Representa-
l. tiyes, which at once shows the mprnccablity OF
l. their dissemination The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
:, therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
i instructive in ITSELF but will furnish an easy index
to those interested, whenever it is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large
There is a large field before us, the materials are
r ample Ii 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, comprehendng and confined
to the action OF the Government, is solid useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off