OF THE OFFICERS.
26. The usual and necessary officers of a deliberative assembly are
those already mentioned, namely, a presiding, and a recording,
officer; both of whom are elected or appointed by the assembly itself,
and removable at its pleasure. These officers are always to be elected
by absolute majorities, even in those States in which elections are
usually effected by a plurality, for the reason, that, being removable
at the pleasure of the assembly, if any number short of a majority
were to elect, a person elected by any such less number would not be
able to retain his office for a moment; inasmuch as he might be
instantly removed therefrom, on a question made for that purpose, by
the votes of those who had voted for other persons on the election;
and it is essential to the due and satisfactory performance of the
functions of these officers, that they should possess the confidence
of the assembly, which they cannot be said to do, unless they have the
suffrages of at least a majority.
Sect. I. The Presiding Officer.
27. The principal duties of this officer are the following:—
To open the sitting, at the time to which the assembly is adjourned,
by taking the chair and calling the members to order;
To announce the business before the assembly in the order in which it
is to be acted upon;
To receive and submit, in the proper manner, all motions and
propositions presented by the members;
To put to vote all questions, which are regularly moved, or
necessarily arise in the course of the proceedings, and to announce
the result;
To restrain the members, when engaged in debate, within the rules of
order;
To enforce on all occasions the observance of order and decorum among
the members;
To receive all messages and other communications and announce them to
the assembly;
To authenticate, by his signature, when necessary, all the acts,
orders, and proceedings of the assembly;
To inform the assembly, when necessary, or when referred to for the
purpose, in a point of order or practice;
To name the members (when directed to do so in a particular case, or
when it is made a part of his general duty by a rule,) who are to
serve on committees; and, in general,
To represent and stand for the assembly, declaring its will, and, in
all things, obeying implicitly its commands.
28. If the assembly is organized by the choice of a president, and
vice-presidents, it is the duty of one of the latter to take the
chair, in case of the absence of the president from the assembly, or
of his withdrawing from the chair for the purpose of participating in
the proceedings.
29. Where but one presiding officer is appointed, in the first
instance, his place can only be supplied, in case of his absence, by
the appointment of a president or chairman _pro tempore_; and, in the
choice of this officer, who ought to be elected before any other
business is done, it is the duty of the secretary to conduct the
proceedings.
30. The presiding officer may read sitting, but should rise to state a
motion, or put a question to the assembly.
Sect. II. The Recording Officer.
31. The principal duties of this officer consists in taking notes of
all the proceedings and in making true entries in his journal of all
“the things done and past” in the assembly; but he is not, in general,
required to take minutes of “particular men’s speeches,” or to make
entries of things merely proposed or moved, without coming to a vote.
He is to enter what is done and past, but not what is said or moved.
This is the rule in legislative assemblies. In others, though the
spirit of the rule ought to be observed, it is generally expected of
the secretary, that his record shall be both a journal and in some
sort a report of the proceedings.
32. It is also the duty of the secretary to read all papers, etc.,
which may be ordered to be read; to call the roll of the assembly, and
take note of those who are absent, when a call is ordered; to call the
roll and note the answers of the members, when a question is taken by
yeas and nays; to notify committees of their appointment and of the
business referred to them; and to authenticate by his signature
(sometimes alone and sometimes in conjunction with the president) all
the acts, orders, and proceedings of the assembly.
33. The clerk is also charged with the custody of all the papers and
documents of every description, belonging to the assembly, as well as
the journal of its proceedings, and is to let none of them be taken
from the table by any member or other person, without the leave or
order of the assembly.
34. When but a single secretary or clerk is appointed, his place can
only be supplied, during his absence, by the appointment of some one
to act _pro tempore_. When several persons are appointed, this
inconvenience is not likely to occur.
35. The clerk should stand while reading or calling the assembly.