The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-07
PREFARAToRY 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 10 follow, as
| for its aim no less purpose, than to impart in
struction, 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
ization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments Of their Government. There has hith-
erto Leen vehicle for the regular and proper
| communication of information of this kind The
| publication of the Laws and the issue of nstruc
tons, more or less comprehensive 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 details
| and Illustrations to make the regulations and in
sructions Ineligible. The valuable documents
| annually reported TO Congress, are too voluminous
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 poiieyt
These publications IN their various forms are
highly useful in themselves far AZ they go, and
some of them Indispensable; bur there is much
that do not reach the hands of all nor if they did
do they furnish those rules, methods, and exam
plies, for the despatch of the public business which
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 ethodcal, and eg
act, 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-Oilice 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 War
Department, ard subsequently in the Treasury
He has therefore had the best opportunities foi
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 flatters 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 cvity 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 Pnst-Ofice and
vlner branches of the public business. 1t is with
this stock of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources OF administrative
ton, and for importing 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
! 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 mad,
| by them during the preceding month. Tables Of
Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws and
Regulations, issued by the Post Office Depart
ment only once in two three years. 1t is
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 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 modifs
cations, made 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 intelll,
| gent postmaster estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and independently of all
others, are worth many times the price 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 sysem--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 question
of official duty national interest, will find pIac
| in this paper.
RI ME undersigned, a committee of publication, on
| y mn rt Of he Muscooee nd Russell A Oricul