The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-03
THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.


- in qTice..sT
letter q WAsHrNoToS, E,,,o., 49, D,
CHARLEs M. WILLARD, EaHors ana fropr'sfors.
TEams. Sc The United States Postal Guide and
Gc'at .4drertser," containing about 81 sppe,royai
ocfa0o pages, Is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annuns, payable in adpanee--or Gue
doiiars for sir copies ordered at any time.
PREFARATORY 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 impart in
struotion, IN the general and detail to the Officers
and Agents of the American public, 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 no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
tons, more OF less comprehensive, and at intervals
or less extended, have proved wholly insde-
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 voumnous,
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
ReUeTul principles, uuurebS themselves OnlY To
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 is much
that do 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, 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.
j 1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
tor of the Posl-Otfice Department until the month
Of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both poslmasters 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, ard 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 iatters himself he has
f, preserved the respect and regard of most OF the
1 present incumbenls of the departments and Is on
becoming terms of intercourse and civility with
them ALL The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
; sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Otfice and
other branches of the public business 1t 10 with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac-
ton, and for mparting 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, to
afford time for obtaining from the departments,
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
! by them during the preceding month. Tables of
| Post Offices and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
| ment only once In two or three years. 1t 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 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 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,
| 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, our paper
will furnish the additions corrections, and modif-
cations, made IN each month, and by being filed
and preserved will afford to posmasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
| for time being, How much of the presen. misdi-
| rection, rcmailing, 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 intei-
cent postmaster can estimate for himself.
I al aIpue md md dpntlv IF oll
1 others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and will, II rs 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 systen--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 IL 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.
| department of our paper addressing itself not
merely to pustmasters and other 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
condensed form the matters submitted to, or aris-
| ing in Congress- At each session q vast deal Of
valuable information is communicated to Con-
gress. by the several departments and their subor-
| dinate bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports are made by committees of both Houses.
| Blu, the great mass of the community know moth
I 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 document
! and report, is only twelve hundred IN the Senate.
and fourteen hundred in the House Of Representa-
tives, which at once shows the impracticability OF
! their determination. The ADVERTISER will con-
tain short abrdglnents analysis of all these
! documents and reports, and the oompend will
] therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, but viii furnish easy index
to those interested whenever II is found desirable
10 Obtain and examine the document at large,
There is 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 II all. The information
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
To the action OF the Government, is solid, uaefu,
and 1--WE might almost say) necessary to the Off
cer-lf not to the citizen. 1t is intended for all,
and put at price which can constitute no obstacle
with any. fat the end of the year, any subscriber
shall find that he has not received the full value Of
\ his money, in intellectual enjoyment and in the