The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-06
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISERS


AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
IL To shoW ,eAai is done, and reI.a should be done
IN o6iee.-SU
PETER u WAsHrHGroN, ! r,;,ors ,.,J p,.o,,;.,,.s
CHARLES Nj. WILLARD, ''0''a"a ''p''s'o's'
TERMs.-" The United States Postal Guide and
Official .1drertiser, containing about 80 srper-roya
octaro pages, is published monthly for ONE
LAR ONLY, per aanu0i, payable q, adcaaee-or frs
dollars for sir copies ordered.
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, las
for its ann no less purpose, than TO lmpart In
sruction, in the general and detail, TO the Officer
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
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith-
erto Leen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind. The
publication of the Laws and the issue of instrur
tons, more less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
| quate 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 polieys
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 not reach the hands OF all, If they did
do they furnish those rules, methods and exam
| Piles, for the despatch Of the public business which
can render the discharge Of public duty either safe
| III.
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, N ehodIcal, and ey
| act, we 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 ey
tent at least--apart from, and independently tn
any party or personal interest 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-Ofice 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, 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 fatters 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-
sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Office and
vtner branches Of the public business 1t is with
| IL
reaching the various sources of administrative ac
ton, and for mparting 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 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 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
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 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
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 nodii.
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 have
provided, and for which we engage, every intelll
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, ndace every
postmaster who feels just pride in his Office or
a 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, 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 place
i'll this paper.