The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-27
WASHINGTON CITY, TUESDAY, APRIL
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
~ To shoW what is done, and ,cAat should be done
in e6ice.=zU
PETKR e. WAsHrNGroN, Ed;,ov, md p,oo,l,
CHARLES M. WILLARD, wv" '0P''''o''-
TERMS. The United STATES Postal Guide aud
octave pages, is published no"thiy for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per Gn's,m, payable ist adUance--or five
dotlsrs for si< copies ordered
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper is nj once the commencement
and sample of the papers that are to follow, as
for its ann no less purpose, than To impart in
structi0n, in the general and detail, to the Officer
and Agents Of the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and make them,
and the people at large, acquainted with the organ
ization, decisons and action Of the Executive de-
partments 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 instrur
lions, more or less comprehensive, and al 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 details
and Illustrations to make the regulations and in
s,ruclions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volumino,,s,
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 pofeys
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
pies, 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, 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 ex
tent at least-apart from, and independently to
any party or personal interest or question what
ever.
| 1t is known to most Of those 10 whom this pa
per will be cent, 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 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 foi
understanding the arrangements OF business in al,
the departments, sad 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
present incuinbents 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
daily routine and details of the POST Office and
olner branches Of the public busipeaa. Ii is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative nc
,ton and for imparting minute and illustrative in
struction, and valuable periodical and statistlcai
! information, that we challenge your confidence.
and solicit your support and patronage
| We have fixed upon tho 18th Of each month as
| the day for the publication of our paper NO 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 O.
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
matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has bean no remedy, that in one
month from the time Of these issues there are of.
4 foes in the tables which 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
| the time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and mod6:
cations, made in each month, and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postnlasters 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 ntelll.
gent postmaster can estimate for himself
These advantages alone and independently of all
others, are worth many tmes 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 o
the orders and notices, decisions, and Instructors
Of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interior
departments, aud the same course is intended in
respect to them. Notices of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court, in cases turning upon question:
Of official duty national interest, will find place
in this paper.