The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-04
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
ann 1PCyCL1I 9DYER7ySER

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL .aDvER7TsER
= To shoto ,chai is done, and ,chat should be done
in o0ice.=sT
PETER G. WAsHrNGroN, E,g,ov.J p.;.,.
CHARLES Nj. WILLARD, 'o""'o''
Terms The United States Postal Guide and
Official .4dpertiser, containing about 81 spper-royal
octapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annlsm, payable IN aduance--or Gps
dollars for sic 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 aim no less a purpose, than to impart in
struction i'm 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 Eeen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication 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 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
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too vOuminous.
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 policyt
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves far 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
M d,,txr 81
or easy, whether in respect 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, methodica, and ex
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 east--apart from, and independently to
any party or 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-Oifice 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 ali
the departments and being acquainted with those
| who carry it on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he naters 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 asssiduousy
| engaged for. several years, IN studying, by per.
sonai inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Ofice and
olner branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages fo
| reaching the various sources of administrative &C
ton, and for mpartiDg minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and Statistical
information, that we challenge your conidenc,
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 q
| Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws anC
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. 1t is 9
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 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
|
of which many postmasters 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 shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modf,
cations, made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to posmasters full ant
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
| for time being. How much of the present misd
rection remang, doubt, confusion, error and
T imposition, will be saved by the progressive state
| OF full and exact knowledge, for which we havi
provided and for which we engage, every inte
| gent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently Of al
| 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
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, ana
! efficiency of the whole Post Office system-at once
| to subscribe The same considerations apply @
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 questions,
| of official duty national interest, will find pac
| in this paper.