The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-29
VOL. I'LL
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

UNITED STATES POSTAL
AND Official ADVERTISER.
IL To shop ohat is done, and phai should be done
IN office.
c cn..h W" Editors aud Propristors
Trims. -" The United States Postal Guide and
0ieiai Adperfissr, conlsiai,ig about 80 scper-royai
oetapo pages, is published monthly for ONE poL-
Lar ONLY, per annua, payable IN adra'sce-Or fire
dollars for str copies ordered.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we embark, and
Of which this paper is ut once the commencement {,
and sample Of the papers that are TO follow, as
for it's ann no less purpose, than 10 impartin-
structon, in the general and detail, to the Officer
and gents 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 no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issueof nstrur
TONS more or less comprehensive. and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
auate 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
structons 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
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 p.icys
! These publications in their various forms
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
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.
7 If we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary Offices more uniform, m ethodical, and ex
! act we shall make the administrative duties OF the
departments more easy ana elective, ana thereby
| promote the real and substantial interests Of the
country And this we expect to do, to some ey
tent at least--apart from, and independently to
any party 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-Oifce Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both poslnlasers and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. lie en-
tered the department fourteen years since and for
many years previously, had been, first IN the War
!
| He has therefore had the best opportunities fol
understanding the arrangements Of business in al
; 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
present ncumbents of the departments, and is on
becoming terms of intercourse and civIity with
them ALL The Junior Editor has been assslduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonul inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details Of the Post-Otice and
otner branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
! reaching the various sources of administrative
ton and for imparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your confdenc.
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 mad,
by them during the preceding month. Tables al
| 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
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 are no longer in operation,
and offices in operation which are not IN the tables
At this time there are 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.
anv increase Of the evil Of either kind, and from
the time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections and modifs
cations, made In each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
| for time being. How much of the present misdi
rection, remailing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
| OF full and exact knowledge, for which we hav
provided, and for which we engage. every intelil
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 it is hoped, indace 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 considerations apply to
the orders and notices, DECISIONS and Instructors
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 question:
of official duty national interest, will find place
i'll this papsr. 4
vuNHE undersigned, committee republication, on