Their employment rendering their office a place of extraordinary trust, this, together with the multiplicity of their business, places them in a distinguished light, both in respect to the King and the people: for they attend almost every day upon his Majesty, as occasion requires; the petitions of the people are for the most part lodged in their hands, to be presented to the King; and, in return, they make the dispatches, according to his Majesty’s answers and determinations. The correspondence to all parts of Great Britain without distinction, relating to the church, the army, the militia, grants, pardons, dispensations, &c. is managed by either of the Secretaries. But as to foreign affairs, all the nations that have any intercourse with Great Britain, are divided by them into two provinces, the northern and southern, each being under one of the Secretaries, as his separate department. They have this special honour, that if either of them be a Baron, he takes place, and has the precedence of all other persons of the same degree, tho’ by creation they might have a right to precede him: but if he is above the degree of a Baron, he then takes place only according to the seniority of his creation. Each of the Secretaries have lodgings appointed for them in all the King’s houses; both for their own accommodation, for their office, and for those that attend upon it. They have each a salary of 3000_l._ a year; which, added to their lawful perquisites, is said to make their places worth 8000_l._ _per annum_ each. The Secretaries and Clerks they employ under them are wholly at their own choice, and have no dependence upon any other person. These are, In the northern department, two Under Secretaries and Keepers of state papers, a first Clerk, and ten other Clerks, a Gazette writer, who has 300_l._ _per annum_; and a Secretary for the Latin tongue, whose salary is 200_l._ a year. In the southern department are, two Under Secretaries, a first Clerk, seven other Clerks; and a Law Clerk to both, who has a salary of 400_l._ _per annum_. The Secretaries of state have also the custody of the King’s seal, called the signet; the use and application of which gives denomination to another office, called the Signet office. See the article SIGNET OFFICE. There is also another office depending on the Secretaries of state, called the Paper office; for which see that article. SEDGWICK’S _rents_, London Wall.† SEDGWICK’S _yard_, London Wall.† SEETHING _lane_, Tower street.