Serjeant-at-Arms
Encyclopedia
A Sergeant-at-Arms is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature
, to keep order during its meetings. The word sergeant is derived from the Latin
serviens, which means "servant".
crossbowmen and spearmen, who were seen as reliable quality troops. The sergeant class were deemed to be 'worth half of a knight' in military value. The office originated in medieval England to serve the Sovereign
in a police role, much like a bailiff
in more recent times. Indeed, the Sergeants-at-Arms constitute the oldest royal bodyguard
in England, dating from the time of King Richard I
(around 1189) as a formed body.
The Sergeant-at-Arms was a personal attendant upon the King
, especially charged with arresting those suspected of treason
. Richard I had 24 with him on the Crusades
. They were formed into a 20-strong Corps of Sergeants-at-Arms by King Edward I
in 1278, as a mounted close escort. In 1399 King Richard II
limited the corps to 30 Sergeants, and King Charles II
had 16. The number was reduced to 8 in 1685 and since then it has gradually declined.
The original responsibilities of the Sergeant-at-Arms included "collecting loans and, impressing men and ships, serving on local administration and in all sorts of ways interfering with local administration and justice." Around 1415, the British House of Commons
received its first Sergeant-at-Arms. From that time onwards the sergeant has been a royal appointment, the sergeant being one of the Sovereign's Sergeants-at-Arms. The House of Lords
has a similar officer.
The formal role of a Sergeant-at-Arms in modern legislative bodies is to keep order during meetings, and, if necessary, forcibly remove any members who are overly rowdy or disruptive. A Sergeant-at-Arms may thus be a retired soldier, police officer, or other official with experience in security. In recent times, however, the positions have often become quite ceremonial in some countries, with actual ability to eject members not necessarily being a primary requirement. The Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons has general charge of certain administrative and custodial functions, as well as security within the chamber of the House.
operates under the Westminster
parliamentary system. The Serjeant-at-Arms is a career officer of the Department of the House of Representatives. The ceremonial duties are as the custodian of the Mace, the symbol of the authority of the House and the Speaker, and as the messenger for formal messages from the House to the Senate. The Serjeant has the authority to remove disorderly people, by force if necessary, from the House or the public or press galleries on the instructions of the Speaker. The administrative duties of the Serjeant include allocation of office accommodation, furniture and fittings for Members' offices, coordination of car transport for Members, mail and courier services for the House, security for the House and arrangements for school visits.
. In this role, the sergeant-at-arms is responsible for the building services and security of the House of Commons, and is appointed by the Governor General
acting on the advice of the Federal cabinet. The sergeant-at-arms carries the mace, the symbol of the authority of the House, in the daily parade into the House of Commons chamber.
The current Sergeant-at-Arms is Kevin M. Vickers.
of Israel
has a sergeant-at-arms (officially known in Hebrew as "קצין הכנסת" ("katzin ha-Knesset"), (lit. "Officer of the Knesset", but as "sergeant at arms" in English). The sergeant-at-arms is the commander of the Knesset Guard
.
parliamentary system. The Serjeant-at-Arms is a permanent Officer of the House and controls the Chamber & Gallery Section comprising 20 officers, including three Assistant Serjeants.
An additional role of Parliamentary Support Service Manager is undertaken, which is in charge on the Reception and Telephone Services comprising 7 staff.
Duties in addition to normal management, financial and people capability tasks are in relation to the House security and maintaining good order in conduct of visitors (strangers) visiting the Gallery areas, Officials attending the House for Ministers, access controls to the doors to the floor of the House, lobbies and the on the floor of the House as directed by the Speaker. There is a major ceremonial role with the Mace for the Speakers Procession and other events such as the Commission Opening, State Opening and the Commissioning of the Speaker. When working with the Deputy Speaker and two Assistant Speakers (Presiding Officers)in the chair the same rules from the Speaker apply for the Serjeant's duties in the House.
The Serjeant is an employee of the New Zealand Parliamentary Service. When the House sits he is only answerable to the Speaker. For the Parliamentary Support Services Manager duties the position reports to the Group Manager Precinct Services.
For the House business the Serjeant and his Chamber & Gallery staff work very closely with the Clerk of the House.
The current Serjeant-at-Arms is Brent V Smith
, a decorated rod which is the symbol of the authority of the Parliament of South Africa
. The mace must be in position in the National Assembly Chamber during a plenary sitting.
The Serjeant-at-Arms is also responsible for maintaining the attendance register of the Members
in the House. S/he must also maintain order in the House and remove people from the House as ordered by the Speaker
.
According to the National Assembly Rules, "the Serjeant-at-Arms shall remove, or cause to be removed, any stranger from any part of a Chamber which has been set apart for members only, and also any stranger who, having been admitted into any other part of the Chamber, misconducts himself or herself or does not withdraw when strangers are ordered to withdraw."
The current Serjeant-at-Arms is Godfrey Cleinwerck. He is attired in a black tailcoat, smart waistcoat, starched white shirt, bowtie and white gloves. The Usher of the Black Rod is Vincent Shabalala whose duty it is to escort the presiding officers of the National Council of Provinces
into its Chamber.
was established in the from of the Westminster
parliamentary system. The Sergeant-at-Arms second most important permanent officer in the Parliament, who heads his own department, the Department of the Sergeant-at-Arms. The Sergeant-at-Arms is appointed by the Secretary General of Parliament and is responsible for all ceremonial occasions as the master of ceremonies
in Parliament, preservation of order, custody of the Mace
, security, admission of visitors, allocation of accommodation within the House and supervision of galleries.
Responsible for security, by tradition he is the only officer authorized to carry a weapon inside the Parliament building and is assisted by the Parliament Police Division. Admission of visitors to the precincts of Parliament is controlled by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The current Sergeant-at-Arms is Anil P. Samarasekara.
. The Serjeant, whilst in the Commons overseeing proceedings, can also escort MPs out of the chamber by order of the Speaker of the House
. The post dates back to 1415, and was traditionally held by retired military or police figures.
The current Serjeant-at-Arms is Ms. Jill Pay
, who was appointed on 30 January 2008, having previously been Assistant Serjeant at Arms since September 2004. Her appointment was seen by some as controversial, as she was the first woman appointed to the role, and the first person recruited from the civil service rather than the police or military. The appointment also coincided with a downgrading of the security aspect with the appointment of a professional security coordinator for Parliament.
In November 2008, following the controversial arrest of Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green
, and subsequent search of his parliamentary office by the Metropolitan Police
, who were given written consent to do so by the Serjeant-at-Arms without holding a search warrant
, the Speaker of the House stated that the protocol would in future require a search warrant and his personal approval before such a search could happen.
The Speaker's assertion in this speech that the Police had failed in their obligation to inform the Serjeant-at-Arms of the fact that they required a warrant was denied by Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick
.
Ms. Pay's immediate predecessors were:
have also adopted the Sergeant-at-Arms. In both cases, the sergeants are charged with the maintenance of order on the floor of the chamber (in the House, he may "display" the mace
in front of an unruly member as an admonition to behave); they serve with the architect of the Capitol building on the commission that oversees the United States Capitol Police
and security for the Congress, and they serve a variety of other functional and ceremonial roles.
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
, to keep order during its meetings. The word sergeant is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
serviens, which means "servant".
Origins
The term Sergeant can be divided into two main definitions; one being a military role and the other governmental. Whereas technically the two roles were not mutually exclusive, they bore very different significance and duties. The sergeant that was a soldier was a man of what would be termed in modern society 'middle class' origins, fulfilling a slightly junior role to the knight in the medieval hierarchy. Sergeants could fight either as heavy to light cavalry, or as well-trained professional infantry, either spearmen or crossbowmen. Most notable medieval mercenaries fell into the 'sergeant' class, such as FlemishFlemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
crossbowmen and spearmen, who were seen as reliable quality troops. The sergeant class were deemed to be 'worth half of a knight' in military value. The office originated in medieval England to serve the Sovereign
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
in a police role, much like a bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
in more recent times. Indeed, the Sergeants-at-Arms constitute the oldest royal bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
in England, dating from the time of King Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
(around 1189) as a formed body.
The Sergeant-at-Arms was a personal attendant upon the King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
, especially charged with arresting those suspected of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. Richard I had 24 with him on the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
. They were formed into a 20-strong Corps of Sergeants-at-Arms by King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1278, as a mounted close escort. In 1399 King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
limited the corps to 30 Sergeants, and King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
had 16. The number was reduced to 8 in 1685 and since then it has gradually declined.
The original responsibilities of the Sergeant-at-Arms included "collecting loans and, impressing men and ships, serving on local administration and in all sorts of ways interfering with local administration and justice." Around 1415, the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
received its first Sergeant-at-Arms. From that time onwards the sergeant has been a royal appointment, the sergeant being one of the Sovereign's Sergeants-at-Arms. The House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
has a similar officer.
The formal role of a Sergeant-at-Arms in modern legislative bodies is to keep order during meetings, and, if necessary, forcibly remove any members who are overly rowdy or disruptive. A Sergeant-at-Arms may thus be a retired soldier, police officer, or other official with experience in security. In recent times, however, the positions have often become quite ceremonial in some countries, with actual ability to eject members not necessarily being a primary requirement. The Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons has general charge of certain administrative and custodial functions, as well as security within the chamber of the House.
Australia
The Australian House of RepresentativesAustralian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
operates under the Westminster
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
parliamentary system. The Serjeant-at-Arms is a career officer of the Department of the House of Representatives. The ceremonial duties are as the custodian of the Mace, the symbol of the authority of the House and the Speaker, and as the messenger for formal messages from the House to the Senate. The Serjeant has the authority to remove disorderly people, by force if necessary, from the House or the public or press galleries on the instructions of the Speaker. The administrative duties of the Serjeant include allocation of office accommodation, furniture and fittings for Members' offices, coordination of car transport for Members, mail and courier services for the House, security for the House and arrangements for school visits.
Bangladesh
The Serjeant-at-Arms is the senior official of the National Parliament (Jatio Sangshad)who is responsible under for maintaining order during sessions and to maintain security and protocol at Parliament under the guidance of Hon'ble Speaker. Presently, Captain A K M Faruque Hassan, (N), afwc, psc, BN, a Bangladesh Navy officer is Serjean-at-Arms.Canada
The Sergeant-at-Arms is the senior official of the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. In this role, the sergeant-at-arms is responsible for the building services and security of the House of Commons, and is appointed by the Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
acting on the advice of the Federal cabinet. The sergeant-at-arms carries the mace, the symbol of the authority of the House, in the daily parade into the House of Commons chamber.
The current Sergeant-at-Arms is Kevin M. Vickers.
Israel
The KnessetKnesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
has a sergeant-at-arms (officially known in Hebrew as "קצין הכנסת" ("katzin ha-Knesset"), (lit. "Officer of the Knesset", but as "sergeant at arms" in English). The sergeant-at-arms is the commander of the Knesset Guard
Knesset Guard
The Knesset Guard is an Israeli protective security unit.The Knesset Guard is responsible for the security of the Knesset building and protection of Knesset members . Guards are stationed outside the building, and ushers are on duty inside...
.
New Zealand
The New Zealand House of Representatives operates under the WestminsterWestminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
parliamentary system. The Serjeant-at-Arms is a permanent Officer of the House and controls the Chamber & Gallery Section comprising 20 officers, including three Assistant Serjeants.
An additional role of Parliamentary Support Service Manager is undertaken, which is in charge on the Reception and Telephone Services comprising 7 staff.
Duties in addition to normal management, financial and people capability tasks are in relation to the House security and maintaining good order in conduct of visitors (strangers) visiting the Gallery areas, Officials attending the House for Ministers, access controls to the doors to the floor of the House, lobbies and the on the floor of the House as directed by the Speaker. There is a major ceremonial role with the Mace for the Speakers Procession and other events such as the Commission Opening, State Opening and the Commissioning of the Speaker. When working with the Deputy Speaker and two Assistant Speakers (Presiding Officers)in the chair the same rules from the Speaker apply for the Serjeant's duties in the House.
The Serjeant is an employee of the New Zealand Parliamentary Service. When the House sits he is only answerable to the Speaker. For the Parliamentary Support Services Manager duties the position reports to the Group Manager Precinct Services.
For the House business the Serjeant and his Chamber & Gallery staff work very closely with the Clerk of the House.
The current Serjeant-at-Arms is Brent V Smith
South Africa
The Serjeant-at-Arms is a member of the parliamentary staff who acts as the official guardian of the maceCeremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official 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...
, a decorated rod which is the symbol of the authority of the Parliament of South Africa
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
. The mace must be in position in the National Assembly Chamber during a plenary sitting.
The Serjeant-at-Arms is also responsible for maintaining the attendance register of the Members
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the House. S/he must also maintain order in the House and remove people from the House as ordered by the Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
.
According to the National Assembly Rules, "the Serjeant-at-Arms shall remove, or cause to be removed, any stranger from any part of a Chamber which has been set apart for members only, and also any stranger who, having been admitted into any other part of the Chamber, misconducts himself or herself or does not withdraw when strangers are ordered to withdraw."
The current Serjeant-at-Arms is Godfrey Cleinwerck. He is attired in a black tailcoat, smart waistcoat, starched white shirt, bowtie and white gloves. The Usher of the Black Rod is Vincent Shabalala whose duty it is to escort the presiding officers of the National Council of Provinces
National Council of Provinces
The National Council of Provinces is the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the constitution which came into full effect in 1997...
into its Chamber.
Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri LankaParliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...
was established in the from of the Westminster
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
parliamentary system. The Sergeant-at-Arms second most important permanent officer in the Parliament, who heads his own department, the Department of the Sergeant-at-Arms. The Sergeant-at-Arms is appointed by the Secretary General of Parliament and is responsible for all ceremonial occasions as the master of ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
in Parliament, preservation of order, custody of the Mace
Ceremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official 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...
, security, admission of visitors, allocation of accommodation within the House and supervision of galleries.
Responsible for security, by tradition he is the only officer authorized to carry a weapon inside the Parliament building and is assisted by the Parliament Police Division. Admission of visitors to the precincts of Parliament is controlled by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The current Sergeant-at-Arms is Anil P. Samarasekara.
United Kingdom
The Serjeant-at-Arms is responsible for security matters concerning the House of Commons; the equivalent officer for the House of Lords is Black RodBlack Rod
The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. The Serjeant, whilst in the Commons overseeing proceedings, can also escort MPs out of the chamber by order of the Speaker of the House
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
. The post dates back to 1415, and was traditionally held by retired military or police figures.
The current Serjeant-at-Arms is Ms. Jill Pay
Jill Pay
Jill Pay is the current Serjeant at Arms in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Pay is the first woman to have held the position Her appointment was unusual in that the position is one normally reserved for those with a military background. Pay is responsible for security in the House of...
, who was appointed on 30 January 2008, having previously been Assistant Serjeant at Arms since September 2004. Her appointment was seen by some as controversial, as she was the first woman appointed to the role, and the first person recruited from the civil service rather than the police or military. The appointment also coincided with a downgrading of the security aspect with the appointment of a professional security coordinator for Parliament.
In November 2008, following the controversial arrest of Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green
Damian Green
Damian Howard Green is a British politician who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ashford since 1997. He came to national prominence after being elected in his constituency. Before standing for parliament, Damian Green was Channel 4's business editor...
, and subsequent search of his parliamentary office by the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
, who were given written consent to do so by the Serjeant-at-Arms without holding a search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
, the Speaker of the House stated that the protocol would in future require a search warrant and his personal approval before such a search could happen.
The Speaker's assertion in this speech that the Police had failed in their obligation to inform the Serjeant-at-Arms of the fact that they required a warrant was denied by Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick
Bob Quick (police officer)
Robert Quick, QPM is a former Assistant Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police Service responsible for counter terrorism within the United Kingdom.-Police career:Quick joined the police service in 1978, first serving in Lambeth....
.
Ms. Pay's immediate predecessors were:
- Major General Anthony Peter Grant Peterkin, CB, OBE [served 2005-2008]
- Sir Michael Cummins, a retired Lt Colonel who served in Germany, Norway, Denmark, Aden and Kuwait and Northern Ireland, and joined the House of Commons staff in 1982 [served 2000-2005]
United States
The two houses of the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
have also adopted the Sergeant-at-Arms. In both cases, the sergeants are charged with the maintenance of order on the floor of the chamber (in the House, he may "display" the mace
Ceremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official 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...
in front of an unruly member as an admonition to behave); they serve with the architect of the Capitol building on the commission that oversees the United States Capitol Police
United States Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police is a federal police force charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories.-History:...
and security for the Congress, and they serve a variety of other functional and ceremonial roles.
Other uses
In imitation, a variety of other bodies—from state and local legislative houses (city councils, county legislatures and the like) to civic and social organizations, as well as Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs—have created posts of sergeants at arms, primarily to enforce order at the direction of the chair and to assist in practical details of organizing meetings.See also
- Ernest E. DebsErnest E. DebsErnest Eugene Debs , who went by Ernest E. Debs, was a California State Assembly member from 1942 to 1947, a Los Angeles city councilman from 1947 to 1958 and a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1958 to 1974....
, Los Angeles City Council member and county supervisor, mid-20th century, sergeant-at-arms in the California State Assembly