The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-28
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OEEICLAL .ADYER TISER

! UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
ua 10 ssoW chai is done, and 'ohat should be done
f. IN qJiee.<kI
CHARLES u mxsI'sas0A' Editor, and Proprisioys
TERMS. 90 The UMited States Postal Guide and
tuciaf .4dpertissr, containing about 80 srpsrroya
oetauo pages, is published monthly for ONE poi
LAR ONLY, per anNu'a, payable ~ advamce--or fire
dollars for str copies ordered st any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
i 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 10 impart in
s,ruction, in the general and detail, to the Officers
and Agents of the American public, IN respect both
to their duties and their rights, and make them,
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
ization, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
paytnents Of their Government. There las hitss-
erto keen no vehicle for the regular and proper
comuiu nicatioD of information of this kind The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc
tons, more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly inade-
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
sructons Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too vouminous,
and are 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
i 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 as far us 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
plies, 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 10 supply
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities
: If we succeed in rendering the functions Of the
y primary Offices more uniform, melhodica and ex-
act, we shall! make the Administrative duties OF tie
departments more easy and effective and thereby
/ promote the real aud substantial interests of the
) country And this we expect to do, To some ex-
tent at least---aparl from, and independently of
= any party personal interest or question what
! ever.
u Ii is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor wns Audi
g tor of the Post-OiIice Department until the month
q of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both postuastcrs and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. lie en-
e tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously, had been, first IN the War
C Department, and subsequently IN the Treasury.
il He has therefore had the best opportunities for
under sandin. 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 1at,ers himself he has
. preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
= present incumbens of tho departments, and is
:, becoming terms of intercourse and civty with
" them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
, engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
~ sonal inquiry ard cxauinaIon the practical and
. daily routine and details OF the Post-O Office and
- other branches of the public business. II is with
" this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
fhe of MI m ST We No
. 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
i afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
0 by them during the preceding month. Tables of
D Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
0 ment only once in two three years Ii is Il
o matter of inconvenience and complaint for which
0 hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues there Of
fees in the tables which longer in operation,
and Offices in operation which not in the tables.
At this time there are perhaps three thousand
OIL offices of the two descriptions. In like manner
q avs have been passed and regulations established
= since the issue of the last volume OF regulations,
0 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
the time another issue shall be made, paper
! will furnish the additions, corrections, and mOdiG-
: cations, made IN each month, and by being filed
4 md preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
H .xact information upon both subjects, up TO and
n 'or time being. How much of the present misdi
"A rection, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
a imposition will be saved by the progressive
n OF full and exact knowledge, for which we have
d provided and for which we engage, every intelii
q rent postmaster can estimate for himself.
n These advantages alone and independently of all
oil others, worth many times the price we charge
Ell for the paper, and WILL II is hoped, induce every
q postmaster who feels just pride in his Office or
patriotic regard for the credit. prosperity, and
n efficiency Of the whole Post Office sysem-at once
! TO subscribe. The same considerations apply to
n 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 cases turning upon questions
Of official duty or national interest, will find place
in this paper.
81 A department Of our paper addressing itself not
n merely to postmasters and other officers OF the
y Government but to all other citizens who give at
tenton to the affairs Of the nation and the progress
n and devo.opment of the untry, will embrace IN
condensed form the matters Submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress. At each session vast deal of
q, valuable information Is communicated to Con
rress by the several departments and their subor-
I 1n,te bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
(, reports arc made by committees of both Houses.
y But the great mass Of the community know moth
? inr of the contents Of these documents and re-
g ports except the brief notices OF them, which
81 from time to time appear IN the public papers.
y 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-
ives which at once shows the mpractIcability Of
!, their dissemination. The ApyEnrisER will con
y balm shor, abrdgments analysis of all these
4 GOD tI.c and ,.t,II