The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-10
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

Va.
1 UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
j AND OFFICIAL .qDTERTTSER
4 IL To shoc sOh0f Is dos and sohat should be done
~, IN c6ics. -&U
cn 1sn NJ Wmssso and proprielor
Terms. ~" The United States Postal Guide ana
Official Advertiser" containing about 80 spper-ropa
octauo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL.
LAR ONLY, per annuns, payable in adpancs-or fin.
dollars for sir copies ordered.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
OF which this paper is atsonce the commencement t.
and sample of the papers that are to follow, las
for its aim no less purpose, than to impart in.
sruction, 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 them
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
izaton, decisions and action of the Executive de.
partments Of their Government. There has hith.
i erto Eeen 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 or less compssnsive, 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 detail.
1 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 genera
/
1 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 &c
party ends, and to matters of national policy
! These publications ins their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as theygo, and
| some of them Indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of all nor if they did
do they furnish those rules, methods and exam.
pies, for the despatch ofthe 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
! Ii we succeed in rendering the functions of the
| primary Offices more uniform, methodical, 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 to
aay party or personal interest or question what
| ever.
! Ii 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 Wsr
| Department, ard subsequently, In. the Treasury.
| He has therefore had the best opportunities fol-
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 fatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most OF the
preseGt 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
Il, nffI ><a ~
orner branches of the public business. IL IS with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
reaching.tlfe various sources Of administrative &C
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
! information, that we efsilenge your confidence
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 10
4 afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
/ by them during the preceding month. Tables CT
/ 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 o
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 are perhaps over three thousand
Offices Of the two descriptions. In like manner
laws have been passed and regulations established
since the issue or 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 modi6,
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, remaiing, doubt, confusion, error, and
imposition, will be saved by the progressive STATE
Of full and exact knowledge, for winch we have
provided, and for which we engage. every intellI.
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, IL is hoped, induce 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
10 subscribe. The same 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 10 them. Notices Of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon question:
of official duty national interest, will find plae
in this paGrr.