The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-09

THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AMI OrEJCIAT AnVERpySPR
THE

THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
l5 10 sho0 sChat is done, aud ohat should be done,
IN Q1ice.@sU aG
lCnAnIEs M. WmI.ap. Editors and Propriei0rs.
| TERms.--ss The United States Postal Guide aud
Official ADVERTISER" containing about 80 spper-royal
ocfavo pages, is published monthiy for ONE Doll
LAR ONLY, per Glnunl, payable in aduance-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 impart in
sructon 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 at large acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith-
erto Eecn no vehicle for the regular and proper
commu nicaton of information Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue Of nstruc-
tons, 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
Istructions ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too vuiuminuus,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
|circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
lngs, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
Of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
party ends. and to matters of nationnl policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves far 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
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, methodical, 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. = if3tt e3sts l5eitie44-l
: 1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
I per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
i tor of the Post-Offce Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
Q 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
i the departments, and being acquainted with those
IS who carry it on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he aatters himself he has
: preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
q becoming terms of intercourse and cvility with
N them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
,e engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
E. sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
I, daily routine and details of the Post-Oice and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock of experience, and these advantages ol
reaching the various sources OF administrative ac
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative In,
" ssruction, and valuable periodical and statistical
N information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
D. We have fixed upon the 18th OF each month as
the day for the publication Of our paper, as 10
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued made
n by them during the preceding month. Tables Of
N Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
~ Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
n ment only in two or three years. 1t is q
n matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
NJ hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
~ month from the time Of these issues, there Of
n fees in the tables which no longer in operation
N and Offices in operation which are not in the Abes
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
y Of which many postmasters and others are wholly
M ignorant. We propose TO prevent, for the present
y 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 modif
5. cations, made in each month, and by being filed
. and preserved, will afford to pOstmasters full and
= exnct information upon both subjects, up to and
y for time being. How much of the present misdi
y rection, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
y imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
W OF full and exact knowledge, for which we have
" provided, and for which we engage, every intei
y gent postmaster estimate for himself %
NJ These advantages alone and independently Of all
" 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
y patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
5 efficiency of the whole Post Office systemat once
" to subscribe. The same considerations apply Il
$ the orders and notices, decisions, and instructions
" Of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and interior
= departments, and the same is intended ir
respect to them. Notices of the decisions of tn,
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty or national interest, will find place
in this paPer. ~ , ..ft -
A department of our paper addressing itself moi
% merely to postmasters and other officers Of the
70 Government but to all other citizens who give at
tention to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
n and development of the untry, will embrace IN q
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
greSS,
l. dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
I, reports are made by committees of both Houses.
It But the great mass Of the community know moth
ing of the contents Of these documents and re-
z ports, except the brief notices of them, which
6 from time 10 time appear in the public papers.
g The standing number printed of each document
and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate,
Q and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives, which at shows the impracticabIlity OF
J their dissemination. The advertiser will con-
o tain short abridgments or analysis Of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
6 therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
i instructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
3 to those interested whenever it 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
IS confidence that the subscriptions will be ample to
enable us to accomplish it all. The information
s we propose to give, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful
2 and 1--WE might almost say necessary TO the Off
l.