The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-19
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER,

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL -aDYER TTSER.
AZ 10 shoo 'ohai is done, and ohat should be done
IN o0ics.-En
CHARLES M. WmI.sp. Editorsan PrOprietor,.
Trans" The United States Postal Guide aud
tse'aI 4dverfser," containing about 80 spper-royai
oefapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per aslansn, payable in aduance-or FIVE
dollars for sir copies ordered.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
or which this paper Is at once the common t.
and sample of the papers that are u follow, as
for its ann no less a purpose, than to impart in
structon, in the general and detail, to the Officer
and Agents the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and to make thu
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
zatlon, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
partments of their Government There has hith-
erto Eeen no vehicle for the regular and proper
| communication of information Of this kind. The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc
ss~s, ussrs Or lsss 9opprshensiye and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
4uate, 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
structions ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are 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 to
party ends, and to matters Of national policyl
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as thew 90 and
some of them indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands OF all nor if thew 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, or the department bureau under which he
acts. We shall make an honest effort to supplv
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities
If we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary Offices more uniform m ethodica and ey
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 to
any party or personal interest or question what
| ever. A
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-Office 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, frstin the War
Department, ard subsequently in the Treasury
tie has therefore had the best opportunities fol
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 Aatters 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 asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per.
sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice ant
vtner branches of the public business. 1t is witt
this stock OF experience, and these advantages fol-
reaching the various sources of administrative nc
ton, and for mpartins minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statist,ca
information, that we challenge your confdenc,
and solicit your support and patronage
We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month ~
| the day for the publication of our paper 10 as 1,
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued or mad
by them during the preceding month Tables I
| 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 are 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 nave DccH PdSScu uflu 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 modiGs
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
recton, remailing, 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 engage, every intell,-
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, induce every
postmaster who feels a uat pride in his office or
a patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at ono
to subscribe The same considerations apply I O
the orders and notices, decisions, and instruction
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 plac.
in this papsr.
| TIME undersigned, a committee of publication on