The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-01
IINGToN CITY, SATURDAY MAY 1, 1882
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
IL TO shop ,ohai is done, and ,chat should be done
IN o0ioe,=ST
c n,rh r. NJ wH WS Editors and propris.ors
Terms. =" The United States Postal Guide aud |
Official adre'tiser" containing about 80 spper-royal
octapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per anniin, payable in adrance-or fps |
dollars for str copies ordered
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which embark, and
OF which this paper is at once the commencement I,
and sample of the papers that are to follow as
for its aim no less purpose, than to impart i'm
struction, 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
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith- 4
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
tons, more less comprehensive, and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
uuate in the absence of the construction Of those
Laws, as applied to particular cases. and Of details
and llAlsxNtors " make the regu satia0xSond in.
structions ntefligibIe. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too voumnous.
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 polieyl
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far they CO. 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
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 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, methodical, 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
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 Audis
| tor of the Post-OfIice 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 hatters 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 civty with
| them all. The Junior Editor has been asssduousy
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
! sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Offce and
\ ouner branches Of the public business. 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative ac
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 80 us to
| afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued, or made
| 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 u
! 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
| !,
| 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 modf,
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 have
| provided, and for which we engage, every intel.
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 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 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 to them. Notices Of the decisions Of the
| Supreme Court, in cases turning upon questions
of official duty national interest, will find placs
| in this paper.
! rENHE undersigned; a committee Of publication on