The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-21
UNITED STATES POSTAI. 0w1nE

UNITED STATES POSTALGNIDE.
and OFFICIAL .aDvERTLyfH
- s'oo 'ohat IS done, and schat should be Done
PETER G. WAsHrsoroN' ) @
cnAnLrs M WnIAnp. Editors and Propyisfovs.
Terms. -" The United States Postal Guide and
ay'nn .,ape'''se'' containing about 80 spper-royal
oefapo pages, Is published nlontLlu s,y oN, ooI
Ian ONLY, per AMMAN, payable in aduanee--or fps
dollars for sir copies ordered at anu one ti,ns
H. 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 ann no less purpose, than to impnrt in
structon, 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 ut hrge, acquainted with the organ
fization, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith
erto teen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind The
publication of the Laws and the Issue of instruc
tons, less comprehensive, and at intervals
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
structions 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 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, methodcal, 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 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
preserved the respect and regard OF most OF the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
E becoming terms of intercourse and clvillty with
: them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
2 engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
j sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
# daily routine and details of the Post Office and
other branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages fol-
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for imparting 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, To
/ afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
: 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 in two or three years. 1t is u
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 are not IN the tables
AT this time there perhaps 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
3 the lime another issue shall be made, our paper
y will furnish the additions, corrections, and modf-
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, remniling. doubt confusion, error, and
u impositon will be saved by the progressive state
OF full and exact knowledge, for which we have
q provided and for which engage, every intelli-
D gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently Of all
$ others, are worth many times the price charge
I for the paper, and will, it is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels 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
s Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
: of official duty or national Interest," viii find place
T in this paper.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
2 merely 10 postmasters and other officers of the
Government, 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 a
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arls-
ing in Congress. AT each session vast deal Of
valuable information is communicated TO Com
eress by the several departments and their subor-
$ dnate bureaus and profound and comprehensive
/ reports are made by committees of both Houses
: But the great mass of the community know moth
s inp of the contents of these documents and re
0 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
d and fourteen hundred in the House of Representa-
J, ,ives which at once shows the impracucabty OF
: their dissemination The ADVERTISER will con-
! tain short abridgments analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
,nerefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
, obstructive in ITSELF but will furnish easy index
to those interested, whenever it is found desirable
10 obtain and examine the document Mt large.
There il large field before us, the materials are
ample. 1t will 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, compromising and confined
IN the action Of the Government, is solid, useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the Off