quires a ready writer, and a shrewd, sprightly and intelligent man. A dull, plodding, slow-moving Secretary, is a great drawback upon an efficient President, and a serious hinderance to business. I have known such an association so to distress the presiding officer, as to induce him to undertake, for the time being, the discharge of the duties of both offices at the same time.

1. In this office, system is every thing. The Secretary should come to the meeting with his books and papers in perfect order. Every paper likely to be called for, should be so arranged as to admit of being produced the moment it is wanted. He should keep on a loose sheet, or on a page of his memo randum book, a list of all the committees in full, so as to be able to call over the names of the members, without the trouble of searching through many pages of his minute. book; and so also, with items of unfinished business, which he should be able to call over in a moment.

2. He should be quick in catching the import of motions, and verbal amendments, and prompt in reducing them to writing, in

a proper shape for the action of the meeting. Attention to this particular greatly facilitates the progress of business.

3. The Secretary's duties require him to keep a correct account of the members in attendance; to preserve a faithful record of the doings of the Society; to read all papers handed him by the president for that purpose; to call and record the yeas and nays, whenever they are required to be called; and to notify the chairman of each commit. tee of his appointment, giving him a list of his colleagues, and stating the business upon which the committee is to act.

4. He should keep a list of each member's address, and correct it from time to time, in case of change or removal, about which he should occasionally inquire; and be attentive to the issuing of notices of meetings for the members, in seasonable time.

5. The Secretary's minute book should be both a journal and a record of proceedings; although it is not required of that officer to take reports of speeches, or to make records of things merely moved or proposed, and which are subsequently with

drawn. Every matter of interest, however, and every proposition upon which a vote has been taken, should be carefully and accurately noted.

6. The Secretary is charged with the custody of many important papers and documents, as well as with the Society's records. These should be carefully guarded, and no paper should be suffered to be taken from his table or his keeping, without a formal vote of the Society.

7. The Secretary should write a legible hand, and understand punctuation, so as to be able properly to punctuate his records. All motions, resolutions, and items of business, should be in separate paragraphs, that they may be readily discovered and read. Every minute book should have a copious index, or, if this involves too much labor, brief side notes, indicating the subjects in the text, should be placed on every page of

the record.

8. The Secretary is not deprived of the privilege of taking part in the deliberations of a meeting, but, as a general rule, it will perhaps be found that he can serve the So

ciety quite as efficiently by a rigid attention to business, as by occupying much time on the floor.

OF THE TREASURER.

The duties appertaining to the office of Treasurer, though essentially the same in all institutions, vary, in detail, according to the character and purposes of the Society. In some they will necessarily be more extended and laborious than in others. To avoid difficulty and misunderstanding, every duty expected of this officer should be specifically laid down in the by-laws.

1. The Treasurer should be a man of business habits, accustomed to accounts, punctual and correct in his own dealings, and prompt and energetic in attending to the du ties of his office. The slightest dereliction in this department produces doubt and mistrust, and is most pernicious to the interests of the institution; and even a loose and careless mode of keeping accounts, is often almost as great a fault as positive dishonesty.

He

2. The Treasurer is held responsible for all monies paid to him on account of the Society. He should charge himself, in a book kept for the purpose, with all monies so received, carefully noting the date, and the source whence they are derived. is also entrusted with the custody of books, important documents and papers, contracts, deeds, mortgages, &c., which he should carefully preserve, allowing no one to remove them from his possession, without a formal order from the Society.

3. All payments made by the Treasurer, should be under a resolution of the Society, or on a requisition signed by the President and Secretary. These resolutions and requisitions, together with his receipts for monies paid, are his vouchers, which he will file among his papers, and hand to the auditors, when his accounts are to be examined. The Treasurer should be careful to take receipts for all monies by him paid out, and also to require that the order for the money be endorsed by the person receiving it.

4. The number and form of the Treasurer's books will depend upon the nature and