The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-13
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

/ UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
las TO shoD ,ohai Is DONE and ichat should be done
in oDiee.=sK
rsrIa r. wAsErseros' Editors and Propristors
i Terms. -" The United States Postal Guide and
Official .4dueriiser" containing about 80 spper-royal
octapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY per annlnl, payable in adpance-or fire
dollars for sir copies ordered.
i PREPARATORY NOTICE.
The enterprise in which we now embark, and
IoP which this paper is at the commencement /,
and a sample Of the papers that are to follow, las
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 ut large, acquainted with the organ
lization, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hiih-
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
TONS more or less comprehensive and ut 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
land Illustrations to make the regulations and in
structions inteligible. 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,
jings, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
Of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only 10
party ends, and to matters of national polieyS
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 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
! 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 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 east-apart from, and independently TO
any party or personal interest or question what
ever.
i 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-Oifice Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
of both postnasters 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, firstin the Wer
i Department, ard subsequently in the Treasury
! He has therefore had the best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements OF business in al,
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry il on Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he natters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard Of most Of the
! nresent incumbents of the departments, and is on
Incoming terms of intercourse and civility with
them all. The Junior Editor has been asssiduously
engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
sonaf inquiry and examination, the practical and
~ lie Of he pno IN and
oIner branches of the public business. IL is with
this stock Of experience, and these advantages for
reaching the various sources of administrative &C
ton. and for impartng minute and illustrative in
sruction, and valuable periodical and statistical
information, that we challenge your conhdenc,
y 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 to
J, afford time for obtaining from the departments
ali the orders notices andchanges issued, or mad,
by them during the preceding month. Tables Of
n Post Offices, and compilations OF the Laws and
Negotiations, are issued by the Post ohce-Depart-
rent only once in two three years. Ii is a
matter Of inconvenience ars complaint, for which
hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time Of these issues, there Of
fees 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
Il 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,
anv increase OF the evil OF either kind, and from
i the time another issue shall be made, our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections, and modi6.
i 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
limposition, will be saved by the progressive state
OF full and exact knowledge, for which we have
proyided, and for which we engage. every intellI
gent postmaster can estimate for himself.
These advantages alone and Independently OF all
4 others are worth many times the price we charge
/ for the paper and will, Il is hoped, induce every
postmaster who feels a just pride in his Office or
n patriotc regard for the credit, prosperity, and
4 efficiency Of the whole Post Office sysem-at once
10 subscribe The same considerations apply 10
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 plac
| =. IL.