SECRETARY, an officer, who by his master's orders writes letters, despatches, and other instruments, which he renders authentic by his signet. Of these there are several kinds ; as, I. .Secretaries of State, who are officers that have under their management and direction the most important affairs of the kingdom, and are obliged constantly to attend on the King; they receive and dispatch whatever comes to their hands, either from the crown the church, the army, private grants, par dons, dispensations, lltc. as likewise pe titions to the sovereign, which, when read, are returned to them ; all which they dispatch according to the King's di rection. They have authority to commit persons for treason, and other offences against the state, as conservators of the peace at common law, or as justices of the peace throughout the kingdom. They are members of the Privy Council, which is seldom or never held without one of them being present ; and as to the business and correspondence in all parts of this kingdom, it is managed by either of the secretaries, without any distinc tion ; but, with respect to foreign affairs, the business is divided into two provin ces or departments, the southern and the northern, comprehending all the king doms and states that have any intercourse with Great Britain ; each secretary receiv ing all letters and addresses from, and making all dispatches to, the several princes and states comprehended in his 2. Secretary of an Embassy, a
son attending an ambassador for writ ing dispatches relating to the negotiation. There is a great difference between the secretary of an embassy, and the ambas sador's secretary ; the last being a domes tic or menial of the ambassador, and the first a servant or minister of the prince. 1% The Secretary of War, an officer of the War Office,' who has two chief clerks under him, the last of which is the secre tary's messenger. There are also secre taries in most of the other offices.