Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom

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The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral (later unicameral) legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution (although the 1852 Constitution was the first to style the legislature as the Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom), which was the first to subject the monarch to certain democratic principles.

Contents 1 Structure 1.1 House of Nobles 1.2 House of Representatives 2 History

[edit] Structure

It consisted of a lower House of Representatives and a House of Nobles.

[edit] House of Nobles

The members of the House of Nobles were appointed by the Monarch with the advice of his Privy Council. It also served as the court of impeachment for any royal official.

[edit] House of Representatives

The members of the House of Representatives were elected by popular vote. Revenue-oriented bills were issued through the House of Representatives, and it served as the grand inquest of the Kingdom.

[edit] History

From 1840 to 1864, it existed as a bicameral parliament. However, with the 1864 Constitution, the Legislature was unified into a single-house legislature. This constitution also created property and literacy requirements for both legislature members and voters; these requirements were repealed by the legislature in 1874.