The following duties be enjoined on the secretary of the commonwealth, in addition to those prescribed in the constitution: First, He shall keep the great and less seal of the state, and affix them, respectively, as the case may require, to all public instruments, to which the attestation of the governor's signature now is or shall hereafter be required by law. Secondly, He shall collect and pay over to the state treasurer, quarterly, the fees heretofore usually collected by the secretary of the late supreme executive council. Third, All bonds and recognizances, which now are, or hereafter shall be, by law directed to be given to this commonwealth, for the faithful discharge of any office, commission or public trust, shall be taken by the secretary, in the name of the commonwealth, for the uses in the same respectively expressed, the sureties therein to be approved by the governor except in the cases of bonds and recognizances given by sheriffs and coroners, and their sureties, which shall be in double the amount heretofore by law required, and the competency of the sureties shall be submitted to the justices of the courts of common pleas of their respective counties, or to any two or more of them, for that purpose convened, for their approbation, which approbation being confirmed by the governor, bonds or recognizances, comformably to the laws of this commonwealth, shall be taken by the recorder of deeds for the county, from the person commissioned by the governor, and his sureties, previous to such person's entering upon the duties of his office, which bonds and recognizances, after being duly entered in the office of the said recorder of deeds shall be by him transmitted to the secretary, and by the said secretary filed in his office, copies of which bonds or recognizances, under the hand and seal of the said secretary, or under the hand and seal of the recorder of deeds, in whose office the originals are recorded and filed, shall be admitted as legal evidence in any suit or suits that shall be brought thereon, against the obligors or cognizors, their heirs, executors or administrators. Fourth, The books, papers and accounts of the secretary shall be open to the inspection and examination of committees of each branch of the legislature, and secretary shall furnish such copies, or abstracts, therefrom, as may from time to time be required.
71 P.S. § 801