The Mace of the Virginia House of Delegates is a symbol of government and legislative authority of the American Commonwealth of Virginia's House of Delegates. [1]
The Mace of the Virginia House of Delegates is a symbol of government and legislative authority of the American Commonwealth of Virginia's House of Delegates. [1]
The original mace used in the House of Delegates was a silver ceremonial mace presented by the Royal Governor to the House of Burgesses of the Colony of Virginia in 1700. [2] Following the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the Commonwealth of Virginia, this mace continued to be used by the House of Delegates as a symbol of government authority. In 1792, after consideration of the inconsistency of using a royal symbol in a republican assembly, the House passed bills to dispose of the old mace and acquire two new maces for the House and the state Senate. The motion in the House noted "It is inconsistent [sic] with the principles of a republican government, that any badge of appendage of Kingly pomp should remain therein." [3]
For the next two years, efforts were made to design a new mace for the House. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson was involved in this work, opposing an early proposal that included a rattlesnake and suggesting "the Roman staves & axe, trite as it is; or perhaps a sword, sheathed in a roll of parchment." [3] A final design for the new mace was never selected; by 1793, concerns over the cost put the plan on hold and the House resolved to sell the existing mace. By December 1794, the 101-ounce silver mace had been sold, for $101, to two partners in a Virginia silversmith firm. [3]
One hundred and eighty years later, a new mace was acquired for the House of Delegates. The current mace is an Edwardian-style ceremonial mace in silver, with a 24 karat gold wash. [4] It is reinforced with wood, and has four sections with designs of oak leaves, acorns, and flowers that resemble the Virginia state flower, the dogwood. [2]
The mace was made in England in 1938 and passed through several owners before being purchased by an art dealer. [5] It was purchased by the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation and presented to the House in 1974. [2] Each day that the House is in session, the mace is placed in the House chamber by the sergeant-at-arms, Jay Pearson. [1] When not in use, the mace is on display in the old hall of the House of Delegates. [4]
A ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high officials in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon. Processions often feature maces, as on parliamentary or formal academic occasions.
The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established in 1619, became a bicameral institution.
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A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin serviens, which means "servant". Historically, serjeants-at-arms were armed men retained by English lords and monarchs, and the ceremonial maces which they are associated with were originally a type of weapon.
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The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the House membership by the Delegates. The Speaker is usually a member of the majority party and, as Speaker, becomes the most powerful member of the House. The House shares legislative power with the Senate of Virginia, the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The House of Delegates is the modern-day successor to the Virginia House of Burgesses, which first met at Jamestown in 1619. The House is divided into Democratic and Republican caucuses. In addition to the Speaker, there is a majority leader, majority whip, majority caucus chair, minority leader, minority whip, minority caucus chair, and the chairs of the several committees of the House.
The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virginia. Prior to the American War of Independence, the upper house of the General Assembly was represented by the Virginia Governor's Council, consisting of up to 12 executive counselors appointed by the colonial royal governor as advisers and jurists.
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The Mace of the United States House of Representatives, also called the Mace of the Republic, is a ceremonial mace and one of the oldest symbols of the United States government. It symbolizes the governmental authority of the United States, and more specifically, the legislative authority of the House of Representatives.
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Christopher Todd Gilbert is an American politician currently serving as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. He has been a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2006, representing the 15th district in the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains, made up of Page and Shenandoah Counties, plus parts of Rockingham and Warren Counties.
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