Pennsylvania Act 1791-1521 (session 3) — SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH - DUTIES

Act text

SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH - DUTIES
                      Act of 1791, 3 Sm.L. No. 1521                   Cl. 71
                                  AN ACT

     To enjoin certain duties on the secretary of the commonwealth,
        and for other purposes.
        Section 1.  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
     Representatives of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General
     Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the
     same, That the following duties be enjoined on the secretary of
     the commonwealth, in addition to those prescribed in the
     constitution; First, He shall keep the great and less seal of
     the state, and affix them, respectively, as the case may
     require, to all public instruments, to which the attestation of
     the governor's signature now is or shall hereafter be required
     by law.  Secondly, He shall collect and pay over to the state
     treasurer, quarterly, the fees heretofore usually collected by
     the secretary of the late supreme executive council.  Third, All
     bonds and recognizances, which now are, or hereafter shall be,
     by law directed to be given to this commonwealth, for the
     faithful discharge of any office, commission or public trust,
     shall be taken by the secretary, in the name of the
     commonwealth, for the uses in the same respectively expressed,
     the sureties therein to be approved by the governor except in
     the cases of bonds and recognizances given by sheriffs and
     coroners, and their sureties, which shall be in double the
     amount heretofore by law required, and the competency of the
     sureties shall be submitted to the justices of the courts of
     common pleas of their respective counties, or to any two or more
     of them, for that purpose convened, for their approbation, which
     approbation being confirmed by the governor, bonds or
     recognizances, conformably to the laws of this commonwealth,
     shall be taken by the recorder of deeds for the county, from the
     person commissioned by the governor, and his sureties, previous
     to such person's entering upon the duties of his office, which
     bonds and recognizances, after being duly entered in the office
     of the said recorder of deeds shall be by him transmitted to the
     secretary, and by the said secretary filed in his office, copies
     of which bonds or recognizances, under the hand and seal of the
     said secretary, or under the hand and seal of the recorder of
     deeds, in whose office the originals are recorded and filed,
     shall be admitted as legal evidence in any suit or suits that
     shall be brought thereon, against the obligors or cognizors,
     their heirs, executors or administrators.  Fourth, The books,
     papers and accounts of the secretary shall be open to the
     inspection and examination of committees of each branch of the
     legislature, and the secretary shall furnish such copies, or
     abstracts, therefrom, as may from time to time be required.