Teller

The designation of persons appointed in various places, for duties requiring counting. The old form of the word is said to have been tallier, meaning a person who.se function it is to keep tally. At the present day, they are most known in banks, where they count the money as received or paid out; and in legislative bodies, where they are appointed to count the members as they vote ay or no, on a division. The teller is a considerable officer in the exchequer, of which officers there are four, whose office is to receive all money due to the king, and to give the clerk of the pells a bill to charge him therewith. They also pay to all persons any money payable by the king, and make weekly and yearly books of their receipts and pay ments, which they deliver to the lordtreasurer. Cowel; Jacob. In the language of parliament,.the " tellers " are the members of the house selected to count the members when a division takes place. In the house of lords a division is effected by the "non-contents " remaining within the bar and the " contents " going below it, a teller being appointed for each party. In the commons, the " ays " go into the lobby at one end of the house, and the " noes " into a lobby at the other end, the house itself being perfectly empty. The speaker then appoints two tellers for each party, and of each two there is one for the ays and one for the noes put together, in order that they may act as a check upon each other. On the return of the members into the house, their names are ascertained by the clerks, who, having in their hands alphabetical lists printed on large pieces of cardboard, put a mark against the name of each as he passes. Brown. The office of the teller in a bank is implied ceived or paid out. The office is often divided into two brandies, that of receiving teller and of paying teller, wliere the business of the bank is large, and the duties cannot conveniently be united in one person.

— When united, the duty of the teller is to receive all moneys offered at the bank in payment of notes and bills previously discounted or lodged for collection, as they severally fall due, and all moneys offered by customers of the bank, to be deposited to their credit in account, whether arising from moneys brought by them to the bank or the proceeds of discounts made for them;

— to pay the checks of depositors, as the money is from time to time drawn out, or for notes discounted; and to redeem the bills of the bank with specie, when the same is demanded.

This is his official employment. The powers annexed to the office do not extend to certifying that a check drawn by a depositor will be good at a future time.

Mussey v. Eagle Bank, 9 Mete. (Mass.) 306.