Definition and Citations:
A large staff, made of the precious metals, aud highly ornamented. It Is used as an emblem of authority, and carried before certain public functionaries by a mace- bearer. In many legislative bodies, the mace is employed as a visible symbol of the dig- nity and collective authority of the house. In the house of lords and house of commons of the Rritish parliament, it is laid upon the table when the house is in session. In the United States house of representatives, it is borne upright by the sergeant-at-arms on extraordinary occasions, as when it is necessary to quell a disturbance or bring refrac- tory members to order.
