Hawaii Territorial House Of Representatives
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The Hawaii Territorial Legislature was the legislative body of the
Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territories of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from Apri ...
from 1900 to 1959 (when Hawaii became a state). The Hawaii Territorial Legislature was established on April 30, 1900, by the
Hawaiian Organic Act The Hawaiian Organic Act, , was an organic act enacted by the United States Congress to establish the Territory of Hawaii and to provide a Constitution and Government of Hawaii, government for the territory. The Act was replaced by the Hawai ...
which established the
Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territories of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from Apri ...
as part of the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.


Establishment

The Hawaii Territorial Legislature was established on April 30, 1900, by the
Hawaiian Organic Act The Hawaiian Organic Act, , was an organic act enacted by the United States Congress to establish the Territory of Hawaii and to provide a Constitution and Government of Hawaii, government for the territory. The Act was replaced by the Hawai ...
which annexed the
Republic of Hawaii The Republic of Hawaii (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Lepupalika o Hawaii'' epupəˈlikə o həˈvɐjʔi was a short-lived one-party state in Hawaii, Hawaii between July 4, 1894, when the Provisional Government of Hawaii had Black Week (H ...
into the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and established it as the
Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territories of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from Apri ...
. All laws created by the Republic of Hawaii were retained, except for those "inconsistent with the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
or laws of the United States" or with the provisions of the Organic Act; various laws of the Republic of Hawaii were explicitly repealed in the text of the Organic Act.


Makeup and operation

The Hawaii Territorial Legislature was a
bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate Deliberative assembly, assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate ...
body comprising a
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
and a
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
. Positions in both chambers were
elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population ch ...
. Each had the power to select its own officers and design its procedural rules. A
quorum A quorum is the minimum number of members of a group necessary to constitute the group at a meeting. In a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature), a quorum is necessary to conduct the business of ...
was defined as the majority of the members of a given chamber, and a vote by a quorum was sufficient for "the conduct of ordinary business", but a
simple majority Simple majority may refer to: * Majority, a voting requirement of more than half of all votes cast * Plurality (voting), a voting requirement of more votes cast for a proposition than for any other option * First-past-the-post voting, the single-win ...
was required for the passage of laws. Legislative sessions were required to be held in odd-numbered years, and could be held in even-numbered years at the discretion of the legislature. Those held in even-numbered years, called "budget sessions", were restricted to matters related to the
budget A budget is a calculation plan, usually but not always financial plan, financial, for a defined accounting period, period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including tim ...
, elections, and impeachment of officials. Sessions began on the third Wednesday in February. The Hawaii Territorial Legislature convened at
ʻIolani Palace The Iolani Palace () was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dynasty. It is located i ...
.


Admission of women

Very soon after the passage of the
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits the United States and its U.S. state, states from denying the Suffrage, right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex, in effect recogni ...
in 1920, which allowed women to vote in elections, women began seeking election to the Territorial Legislature. However, the Organic Act required that members of the legislature be male citizens of the United States. In 1922, the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
passed a bill to modify the Organic Act to allow women to hold office. The first woman in the Hawaii Territorial Legislature was Rosalie Keliʻinoi, elected to the Territorial House of Representatives in 1925. Elsie Wilcox became the first woman elected to the Territorial Senate in 1933.


Senate

The Senate of the Territory of Hawaii had 25 members (15 members until February 18, 1959), elected for four-year terms. Members, required to be
United States citizens Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constitu ...
who were older than 30, eligible to vote, and had lived in Hawaii for three years, were initially elected from six senatorial districts: * First district: Puna,
Hilo Hilo () is the largest settlement in and the county seat of Hawaii County, Hawaiʻi, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaiʻi, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. I ...
and Hamakua (5 senators) * Second district: Kau, Kona and Kohala (2 senators) * Third district:
Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...
,
Molokai Molokai or Molokai ( or ; Molokaʻi dialect: Morotaʻi ) is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its g ...
,
Lanai Lānai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the smallest publicly accessible inhabited island in the chain. It is colloquially known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The island's on ...
and Kahoolawe (5 senators) * Fourth district: "That portion of the island of
Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...
lying east and south of Nuuanu Street and Pali Road and the upper ridge of the Koolau Range from the Nuuanu Pali to Makapuu Point and all other islands not specifically enumerated" (5 senators) * Fifth district: The portion of Oahu lying outside the fourth district (5 senators) * A sixth district consisting of
Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...
and
Niihau Niihau (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ), anglicized as Niihau ( ), is the seventh largest island in Hawaii and the westernmost of the main islands. It is southwest of Kauai, Kauai across the Channels of the Hawaiian Islands#Kaulakahi Channel, Ka ...
was established in 1956. (3 senators)


House of Representatives

The House of Representatives of the Territory of Hawaii had 51 members (30 members until February 18, 1959), elected to two-year terms. There were eighteen representative districts, which were each entitled to elect somewhere from one to six representatives. Representatives were required to be
United States citizens Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constitu ...
who were older than 25, eligible to vote, and had lived in Hawaii for three years.


Disestablishment

The Hawaii Territorial Legislature adjourned for the final time on May 2, 1959, when Hawaii became a state and the
Hawaii State Legislature The Hawaii State Legislature ( Hawaiian: Ka ‘Aha‘ōlelo kau kānāwai o ka Moku‘āina o Hawai‘i) is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii, consisting of the Hawaii State Senate (upper house with 25 senators) and t ...
therefore became its legislative body.


References


Citations


Works cited

* {{Refend 1900 establishments in Hawaii 1959 disestablishments in Hawaii Government of Hawaii Hawaii Legislature Defunct bicameral legislatures Former territorial legislatures of the United States