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.