The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-05-25
Petitions.

The right to petition legislative bodies is one
of the most sacred that can be conferred by a
constitutional provision. BY its means, an indi-
vidual can pray to have his private wrongs re-
dressed, Il community represent it's wishes, and a
people obtain the repeal of one law, or the pas
sage of another. That petitions presented to a
Legislative Assembly, when couched in proper
language, should be treated with all respect,
every one will acknowledge. And yet, we are of
the opinion that this right may be. and often is
abused. Like all undisputcd rights, there is a
disposition sometimes manifested to go beyond
reasonable limits in their exercise. Hence we see
petition after petition pouring in upon the pres
ent Assembly, many gotten up in an extremely
irregular and unskillful manner that insures their
rejection from the start others involving in their
prayer radical changes in the laws and the Con-
~stitution that stamp them as inpracticable; and
still others, that no committee can lick into any
shape. Now and then a petition is read that con-
veys a reasonable demand in a practicable form,
which, did it come before the House supported by
a sufficient number of signatures to warrant its
being considered the prayer of a majority of the
people interested, would probably result in the
production of a bill that might become a law. The
getting up of a petition in the minds of some,
seems to be a mere matter of the moment, and
that it makes no difference whether the relief
asked is imaginary or real, or the changes asked
for are calculated to be to the advantage of the
greatest number, or disastrous to everything and
everybody except the isolated portion or interest
concerned. The manufacture of petitions has be-
come a habit with a few lobbyists in our midst,
- L ..-l:- ..E:lo oC A. IIo,.o ~o-Ioo1
everything else anddevote themselves to the highly
important business of framing a petition, which,
when presented, is discovered to have been
8 = signed - by one man, who with Benefits Di-
rectory,' or a lot of old poll lists before him, at
taches an imposing array of names to the docu-
ment. In such cases, the tail is too heavy for the
kite, and by a vote of the House the petition is
rejected.
We arc fully aware Of the fact that it is the
duty of Representatives to present such petitions
as may be given them by their constituents, but
we cannot but think that the House has rights,
as well as do individuals, and one of these is the
right to have matters for discussion brought for
ward in such a shape as will enable work to be
done rapidly and intelligently. To be sure, the
House may and does waive this right for reasons
best known to Honorable members, but it does
not facilitate business, though the circumlocu-
tionary style of approaching the end may be the
most expeditions, as " the longest way round is
the shortest way home"
The Representative too, has rights, and one of
these is the suggesting to his constituents their
asking for only those things that there is a posi-
bility of their getting. If this right were in
sisted upon, time would be spared for the real
business of the session,-and We may add, there
would be very few petitions presented.