The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-11
II RI w e ID * l. Y !.
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE

UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
and OFFICIAL ADVERTISER.
rs TO shop ohat Is done, and ,ohqt should be done
IN oCice.esI
carEn r. wAWsHrh s Editors and Proprictors.'
TERMS. SO The United States Postal Guide and
Official Adpertiser, containing about 80 super-roya
octapo pages, is published monthly for ONE DOL
LAR ONLY, per annian, payable IN aduance--or Jtp'
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 are to follow' as
for its aim no less a purpose, than TO impart IN
structon, in the general and detail, to the Ofhcer
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
zation, decisions and action of the Executive de-
partments of their Government. There has hth-
erto Eeen 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 less comprehensive, and at Intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
uuate 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
structons ineligible The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, ARE too voumnous.
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 70
party ends and to matters of national policyS
| These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves rs 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 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 ne
1 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, methodcal, and e2
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.
| It's 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 Wsr
! Department, ard subsequently IN the Treasury.
| He has therefore had the best opportunities fol
| 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 Aatters himself he has
! preserved the respect and regard of most Of the
| present ncumbents 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
orner 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 statistical
| information, that We challenge your conhdenc,
| and solicit your support and patronage.
We have fixed upon the 18th of each month as
I the day for the publication Of our paper, TO
afford time for obtaining from the departments
all the orders, notices and changes issued mad,
| by them during the preceding month. Tables CT
| Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws and
| Regulations, areissued by the Post Office Depart
4 ment only once in two or three years. Ii is
| matter OF inconvenience and complaint, for which
/ hitherto there has been remedy, that ~ one
month from the time of these issues there are OF.
fees in the tables which are no longer in operation
and offices in operation which 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 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
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 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
patriotic regard for the credit, prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office system-at once
| TO subscribe. The same considerations apply {
the orders and notices, decisions, and Instructors
| OF the War, Navy, Treasury, Stste, and Interior
| departments, and the same course IS intended in
| respect 10 them. Notices Of the decisions Of the
| Supreme Court, in cases turning upon question:
Of official duty or national Interest," will find plac