SECRETARY OF

STATE  , in England, the designation of certain important members of the administration . The ancient English monarchs were always attended by a learned ecclesiastic, known at first as their clerk, and afterwards as secretary, who conducted the royal correspondence; but it was not until the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth that these functionaries were called secretaries of state . Upon the direction of public affairs passing from the privy council to the cabinet after 1688 the secretaries of state began to assume those high duties ' Curiously enough, Boddaert in 1783 omitted to give it a scientific name . 2 The scientific synonymy of the species is given at great length by Drs Finsch and Hartlaub (Vogel Ost-Afrikas, p . 93) and by R . B . Sharpe (Cat . B . Brit . Museum, i. p . 45) . s It is from the fancied resemblance of these feathers to the pens which a clerk is supposed to stick above his ear that the bird's name of Secretary is really derived.which now render their office one of the most influential of an administration .

Until the reign of

Henry VIII. there was generally only one secretary of state, but at the end of his reign a second principal secretary was appointed . Owing to the increase of business consequent upon the union of Scotland, a third secretary, in 1708, was created, but a vacancy occurring in this office in 1746 the third secretaryship was dispensed with until 1768, when it was again instituted to take charge of the increasing colonial business . How-ever, in 1782 the office was again abolished, and the charge of the colonies transferred to the home secretary; but owing to the war with France in 1794 a third secretary was once more appointed to superintend the business of the war department, and seven years later the colonial business was attached to his department . In 1854 a fourth secretary of state for the exclusive charge of the war department and in 1858 a fifth secretaryship for India were created . There are therefore now five principal secretaries of state, four of whom, with their political under-secretaries, occupy seats in the House of Commons . One of these secretaries of state is always a member of the House of Lords . The secretaries of state are the only authorized channels through which the royal pleasure is signified to any part of the body politic, and the counter-signature of one of them is necessary to give validity to the sign manual . The secretaries of state constitute but one office, and are coordinate in rank and equal in authority . Each is competent in general to execute any part of the duties of the secretary of state, the division of duties being a mere matter of arrangement . For the existing division of duties, see under separate headings, COLONIAL OFFICE, FOREIGN OFFICE, &C . In the United States the " secretary of state " is a member of the executive, who deals with foreign affairs, and who, in the event of a vacancy in the office of president, is next in succession after the vice-president . The title of " secretary "—" of the treasury," " of war," &c.—is used for some other members of the executive .