The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-12
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISERS
H. To shor ,oha is done, and ,ohat should be done
IN oGice.=E1S
LETTER r. WA vw. Editor, and Proprie,ors,
TERMs.- The United States Postal Guide and
Official .qdvertiser' containing about 80 spper-royai
ocfauo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY per anntlp, payable IN aduaRce--or tIps
dollars for sir copies ordered.
PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
Of which this paper is ut once the commencement
and sample Of the papers that are to follow, as
for its aim no less purpose, than TO lmpart IN
structon, in the general and detail, to the Officer
and Agents of the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights ana 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 nth
erto Teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication of information of this kind The
publication Of the Laws and the issue of instruc
IONS 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
structions Ineligible The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too vouminous,
and are printed in quantities too small for general
crculation 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 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 thew 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 III 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, methodica, 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 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 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. lie 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 toi
understanding the arrangements OF business IN AL
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry it on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he natters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard of most OF the
| present incumbents of the departments, and rs on
| becoming terms of intercourse and civility with
| them ALL The Junior Editor has been asssiduou5ly
engaged for several years, IN studying, by per-
| sonal inquiry and examination, the practical and
| daily routine and details of the Post-Ollice and
o,ner branches Of the public business 1t is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
| reaching the various sources OF administrative &c
! ton and for imparting minute and illustrative IN
struction, and valuable periodical and statistica
| information, that we challenge your confidence
i and solicit your support and patronage
| We have fixed upon the 18th Of each month az
I the day for the publication oil paper, as to
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued, made
| by them during the preceding month. Tables q I
! 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 a
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 opera!on
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 modii..
cations, made in each month"; and by being filed
and preserved, will afford to postmasers 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 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
a 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 nationalinerest, will find plac
in this paper.