The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-11
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICL4L ADVERTISER.


us To sho,o tohat is Done and ,chat should be done
in o6ice.=SU
PETER G. WAsHrNGroN, E.;,. p,,r;,
CHARLES M. WILLARD, ( " ''F'
TERMS" The United States Postal Guide and
Official y4dpertiser, containing about 81 srper-roya
octauo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annuua, payable in adpance-or tive
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, as
for it's aim no less purpose, than to impart M
structon, in the general and detail, to the Officer
and gents 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-
psrtments 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 instruc
TONS 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 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 u
| party ends, and to matters of national policy
| 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
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 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 Ieast-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-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 slnce and for
many wears 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 civIlity with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduou,ly
| engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
| sonaj inquiry and examination, the practical and
daily routine and details of the Post-Offce and
| otner branches of the public business 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages tor
reaching the various sources of administrative &C
ton, and for impartng 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 our paper, 70
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders notices and changes issued or made
by them during the preceding month. Tables G I
Post Offices, and compilations of the Laws and
Regulations, are issued by the Pos. Office Depart
ment only once in two or three years. 1t 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 are 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 have been passed and regulations 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
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modif.
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
l.provided, and for which 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, indace 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 20
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 turning upon question!
of official duty or nationalinerest, will find a plac
, in this paper.
YUNHE undersigned committee of publication, on
n ali a s--.-.