The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-23
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
i AND OFFICIAL aDYERTSER
~ To sho,o lchat is done, and ehat should be done
in o6ice.=zU
PETER q. WAsHrkGToN, r,... -.
j CHARLES M WILLARD, I 1''o's 1''a 'op''eio's'
Terms -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official .adperser containing about 80 spper-royaI
octaUo pages Is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per amman, payable IN adpance---or fire
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 to follow, ! as
| for its aim no less purpose, than to impart 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
izaton decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hith-
erto Teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
| communication of information Of this kind The
| publication of the Laws and the issue of nstrur
tons, or less comprehensive and at intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly inade-
quate in the absence Of the construction or 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 printed in quantities too small for general
circuaton; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries of the press upon their proceeds
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 polieyy
| 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 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
ub herr N IN lncu abauf
| SELF or the department or bureau under which he
| acts. We shall make 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, m ethodical, 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 least-apart from, and independently to
any 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:
I,tor of the Post-Ofce 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
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 for
understanding the arrangements of business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry il 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 civIIity with
them all.1 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-Offce and
olner branches of the public business. II is with
this stock OF experience, and these advantages for
| n a IQ five c
ton, and for imparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that 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, so as 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. IL is
matter of inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been remedy, that i'm 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 or regulations,
] 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 modi6s
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 presen, 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 inteI-
| 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
Sep .&s and he same soarss intended IL
respect to them. Notices Of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon question:
Of official duty national interest, will find place