The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-15

THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
! AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
~ To shoc schaf Is done, and chat should be done,
,.g IN Office. -EU
PErER 9. WAsErNeroN, Ed;,o,, aad p,on,i.tor,.
ChARLEs M. WILLARD,
Official .9drertiser," containing about 81 spperroyai
octaro pages, is published mo'thfy for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per anaum, payable in adromce--or fire
dollars for sir copies ordered al amy one Time.
| PREPARATORY NOTICE.
1 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 lis aim no less purpose, than TO impart IN
structon in the general and detail, to the Officers
and Agents Of the American public, in respect both
to their dulles and their rghta, and to make them,
and the people at large acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
yartments Of their Government. There has hlth-
erlo Teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
municaton Of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue OF instruc-
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, az 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,
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
4 general principles, address themselves only 70
party ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as they go, and
some of them Indispensable; but there - much
that do not reach the hands Of al, If they did,
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
pies, for the despatch OF the pubc'busness winch
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.
: 1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor Audi
u tor Of the Pos-Ofice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
e. 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
's Department, and subsequently in the Treasury
He has therefore had the best opportunities for
e understanding the arrangements OF business IN all
il the departments, and being acquainted with those
is who carry it on Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he latters himself he has
! preserved the respect and regard Of most or the
present incumbents of the departments, and Is or
Is becoming terms Of intercourse and civility witt
m them ALL The Junior Editor has been asssduousl
)e engaged for several years, in studying, by per
e. sonal inquiry and examination, the practical ant
T. daily routine and details of the Post-Oifice ant
other branches of the public business. 1t ID will
this stock Of experience and these advantages TO
reaching the various sources OF administrative &c
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative IN
" sruction and valuable periodical and statistical
m information, that we challenge your confidence
and solicit your support and patronage
D. We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month al
the day for the publication Of our paper, so MS L
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or mad
M by them during the preceding month. Tables o
M Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws ant
NJ Regulations, issued by the Post Office Depart
NJ ment only once in two or three years. II Is ,
" matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
NJ hitherto there has been remedy, that in on
" month from the time Of these issues, there are of
N fees in the tables which no longer IN operation
N and Offices in operation which are not IN the tables
W At this time there perhaps over three Thousand
y, Offices Of the two descriptions. In like manne
NJ laws have been passed and regulations estabisho
NJ since the issue Of the last volume of regulations
~ Of which many posmasters and Others are wholly
M 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 pape
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modI6
e. cations, made in each month, and by being hlet
- and preserved, will afford to postmssters full ant
~ exact information upon both subjects, up to ant
~ for time being. How much Of the present msdi
" recton, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, ant
~ imposition, will be saved by the progressive stat
~ Of full and exact knowledge, for which we hav
~ provided. and for which we engage, every inteli
NJ gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
~ These advantages alone and independently of al
~ others, worth many times the price we charge
~ for the paper, and will, it is hoped induce ever,
% postmaster who feels Just pride in his Office OF
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, nnt
. efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at once
y TO subscribe. The same considerations apply L
!. the orders and notices, DECISIONS and instruction.
~ of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and interio
= departments, and the course IL intended il
respect to them. Notices Of the decisions of thu
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon question:
of official duty or national interest, will find place
in this payer.
A department Of our paper addressing itself no
N merely to postmasers and other officers of thu
NJ Governments but to all other citizens who give at
ention to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
n and development Of the c, untry, VIII embrace IN
condensed form the matters submitted to, or arts
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal OF
I
gress, by the several departments and their subor
/ dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
. reports are made by committees Of both Houses.
u But the great mass of the community know moth
. ing of the contents Of these documents and re-
= ports, except the brief notices of them, which
Q from time to time appear in the public papers.
. The standing number printed of each document
y and report is only twelve hundred in the Senate.
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
lives, which at once shows the impracticability of
J their dissemination. The ADvERTnER will con-
U tain short abridgments or analysis of all these
!. documents and reports, and the compend will
o therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
l instructive in itself, but will furnish easy index
to those interested, whenever il is found desirable
TO obtain and examine the document at large.
Y There is large field before as, the materials
!, ample II 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
to the action Of the Government, is solid, usefu,