The southern press., 1851-04-07
UNITED STATES POSTAL g UIDF.


10 shou 'chat is done and mltat should Be done,
- in qtfce,-sU
PETER u WAsHrSeToN, -,
CHARLES M. WILLARD, ca"o's ana Trop1efors-
IERMs.-" The United States Postal Guide and
U'c'aI Advertiser" containing about 80 sppsr-royai
oeiaUo pages, is published monthiy Jbr ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annta, payable in adpance-oy- fre
dollars for sir copies ordered At any one time.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which now embark, and
OF which this paper isRt once the commencement,
and sample of the papers that are to follow, has
for its aim no less a purpose, than to mpart in
structon, in the general and detail, to the Officer,
and Agents ofthe 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 Teen vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of lnstruc
uons more or less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended. have proved wholly made
quate, in the absence of he oGssixucion 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 voumnous
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
Of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
party ends, and to matters of national 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
ples 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, the department or bureau under which he
| M sh an npat off IN ,lu
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities.
| If we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary offices more uniform, methodica, and ex-
act 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 east-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-Offce 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
preset incumbents Of the departments, and is OH
becoming terms of intercourse and civty with
| them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduou.lv
engaged for several years, IN studying, by per-
sona 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 ofexperlence, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources Of administrative ac-
ton, and for impartipg minute and illustrative IN
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 as to-
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or 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
ment only once IN two or three years. II is a
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 are no longer in operation
and Offices in operation which 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 wholly
ignorant. We propose to prevent for the present,
any increase Of the evil of either kind, and from
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modif-
| cations, made each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasiers full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being. How much of the presen. rnisdi-
recuon, remaiiing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
provided, and for which we engage, every ntelli-
gent postmaster can estimate for HIMSELF
These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, are worth many times the price 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 is intended in
| respect to them. Notices Of the decisions of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, will find place
! in this papr.
A department of our paper addressing itself NOT
merely to postmasters and u,her officers Of the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
tention 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 aris-
ing in Congress AT each session vast deal OF
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress by the several departments and their subor-
dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
But the great of the community know moth
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 dOcume
and report, is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tves, which at once shows the impracticabiIity OF
their dissemination. The ADvERrisER will con-
tain short abridgments analysis of all these
documents and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but will furnish easy index
those Interested, whenever il is found desirable
to obtain and examine the document at large
There is large field before us, the materials are
ample. It will be our Jealous care 10 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, comprehending and confined
to the action Of the Government, is solid, useful
and 1--WE might almost say necessary to the off :
cerif not to the citizen. II is intended for all, +,
kAhr Il.