The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-17

UNITED aTATES POSTAL G UIDE.
IND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER,
N TO Assc srkst u dene, and srAai should be DONE
NV IL q55cs..k
rsrxH G W4ssrscTos, Editors end p,Oor;x.or,.
Txans. =" re Ussissd States Postal Gwide and
Qiciat 1artytser, eowtsj~ing about 80 svpssvovai
eefseo pages, i pubttsAsd ssontAty tbr ONE DoL-
Lar oALy, per sssnwn, psyobie ~ sdpsncs Tor trs
dollars for si< copies ordered at sMy oH< time.
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 aim no less purpose, than TO impnrt in
struction, in the general and detail, to the Officers
and Agents Of the American public, in respect both
TO their duties and their rights, and TO make them,
and the people at large acquainted with the organ
ixation, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith-
erto teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
of Information Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc-
lions, 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, applied to particular cases. and Of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and n-
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, too voluminous,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries Of the press upon their proceed
ngs, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
Of the Government besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
marty 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
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, mchodicnl, 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 least-apart from, and independently OF
any party or personal interest or question what
ever. .o
1t is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
| tor of the PostOfice 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. tie en-
tered the department fourteen years since and for
many years previously, had been, hrstin the War
| Department, and subsequently in the Treasury
! He has therefore had the best opportunities tor
understanding the arrangements of business in all
| the departments, and being acquainted with those
| who carry il on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he natters himself he has
| preserved the respect and regard OF most Of the
present incumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms Of intercourse and civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
4 sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofce and
other branches OF the public business. II is with
this stock experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources Of administrative ac-
ton, and for impartng minute and illustrative in
structon and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that challenge your. confidence
and solicit your support and patronage.
1 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 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. 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 Of
1 fees in the tables which longer in ope alton,
] 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 postmusters and others wholly
! ignorant We propose to prevent, for the present,
any increase Of the evil of either kind, and from
the time another issue shal 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 posttnasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, upto and
for time being. How much of the present roisdi-
/ rectinn, remalling, doubt, confusion, error and
imposition. will be saved by the progressive state
Of full and exact knowledge, for which we have
4 provided, and for which We engage, every Inteli-
| gent postmaster can estimate for himself
/ These advantages alone and independently Of all
others, are worth many times the price We charge
/ for the paper, and WILL II is hoped, induce every
| postmaster who feels just pride in his Office,
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, decisona, 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 pnper.
A department of our paper addressing itself not
merely TO postmasiers and other officers of the
Government, but 10 all other citizens who give at
ention to the affairs OF the nation and the progress
and development of the {, untry, viii embrace IN
| conden form the matters submitted to, or aris-
ing in Congress At each session vast deal Of
valuable information in communicated to Con-
gress, by the several denaTsmsn,s aud their subor-
dina,e bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
reports ars made by committees Of both Houses
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
| from time TO time appoay IN The public papers.
The standing number printed Of each document
I and report IL onIy twelve hundred in the Senate
1 and fourteen hundred in the House OF Representa-
tives, which al once shows the lmpractIoab'llty Of
their dissemination, The ApvxsrssNx will con
tain short abridgmenss Analysis Of all these
documents and reports, and the oompend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive in itself, bn, will furnish an easy index
to Vhose interested, whenever il Is found desirable
TO obtain and examine the document at large.
( There is a large field before US. the materials are
ample 1t will he zealaus care To collect and
arrange them in the proper fbrm. We have every
confluence thai the subscriptions will be ample to
enable us to accomplish il ALL The information
we propose to give, comprehending and confined
10 ,he action Of the Government, is solid, useful,