Davis v. Quinn

43 Haw. 261
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedMay 22, 1959
DocketNo. 4130
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 43 Haw. 261 (Davis v. Quinn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Quinn, 43 Haw. 261 (haw 1959).

Opinions

[262]*262This is a case submitted upon an agreed statement of facts, pursuant to section 227-1, Revised Laws of Hawaii 1955. An actual controversy exists between the parties, as hereinafter stated.

The plaintiffs are citizens, duly registered voters and electors of and in the 8th, 10th and 17th representative districts, in pairs, one of the Republican and the other of the Democrat party, representing each of said districts.

The intervening defendants are citizens, duly registered voters and electors of the 2nd, 7th, 13th, 14th and 18th representative districts, in pairs, one of the Republican and the other of the Democrat party, representing each of said districts.

Also, others of them, being county attorneys not acting in their official capacities, but as citizens and duly registered voters and electors of the basic areas within which the representative districts represented by the other intervening defendants are situated, respectively, the island of Hawaii, within which is the 2nd representative district; the islands of Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Kahoolawe, within which is the 7th representative district; and the islands of Kauai and Niihau, within which basic area is the 18th representative district.

The defendants William F. Quinn and Edward E. Johnston are the duly appointed, qualified and acting Governor and Secretary of the Territory of Hawaii, respectively, and are parties to the submission by reason of the duties and powers which are vested in them as such.

The question in difference concerns the number of representatives for the respective representative districts, to be nominated by the political parties and to be elected as members of the house of representatives of the first state legislature at the elections to be held pursuant to Public Law 86-3 before the admission of Hawaii as a State.

It it required by Public Law 86-3 that these elections be held and the returns certified to the President of the United States prior to the issuance of the Presidential proclamation, which, under section 7(c) of the act, effects the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union.

[263]*263The election was called by a proclamation made and issued by the Governor of the Territory of Hawaii on April 15, 1959. Sections 6 and 7(a) of the admission act provide that the elections shall be called by the Governor within thirty days after official notification of the approval of Public Law 86-3, thus within thirty days after March 18, 1959. By the proclamation the primary election is called for June 27, 1959 and the general or final election for July 28, 1959.

Paragraph 8 of the Governor’s proclamation of April 15, 1959, sets out the number of members of the house of representatives by representative districts, designating the districts and number for each in accordance with Article XVI, section 1 of the constitution of the proposed state.

Under section 6 of Public Law 86-3 and section 10 of Article XVI of the constitution, the election is "for officers of all State elective offices provided for by the constitution of the proposed State of Hawaii.”

Plaintiffs contend that it is within the power and duty of the Governor of the Territory of Hawaii to reapportion the membership of the house of representatives to be elected at these elections, by the method set out in Article III, section 4 of the constitution (Hawaii) and section 55 of the Hawaiian Organic Act as amended by Public Law 895, 84th Congress, approved August 1, 1956.

It is agreed that this method, if legally applicable and if the number of voters registered at the 1958 territorial general election is used as a basis, produces the following result, that is, an increase in the number of representatives for the districts in which plaintiffs are electors and a consequent decrease in the number of representatives for certain other districts. The agreed statement sets out, in one column the number designated by paragraph 8 of the Governor’s proclamation of April 15, 1959, and in another column the number produced by reapportionment on the basis of the 1958 territorial registration, as hereinafter appearing.

[264]*264BASIC AREA — ISLAND OF HAWAII

[265]*265By consent of all parties, electors of the districts whose representation would be decreased (the 2nd, 7th, 13th, 14th and 18th districts) are given the status of intervening defendants and are parties to the agreed case. They contend that the proclamation of April 15, 1959 is correct and that the reapportionment sought by the plaintiffs would be in denial of their rights.

The reapportionment sought by the plaintiffs would reduce the number of representatives from the Hawaii, Maui and Kauai ''basic areas,” which basic areas have a certain significance in the application of the aforesaid method. The county attorneys of Hawaii, Maui and Kauai, appearing however as electors in propria persona and not as county attorneys, make the additional contention that the reapportionment sought by the plaintiffs would be in denial of their rights as electors in these basic areas.

The defendant officers and the intervening defendants all contend that the Governor of the Territory of Hawaii is without power to reapportion the state legislature. However, as to the Secretary of the Territory, under whose direction the elections will be conducted, this officer is proceeding in accordance with paragraph 8 of the proclamation of April 15, 1959, which designates the number of representatives for the respective districts in accordance with Article XVI, section 1 of the constitution. On that account, and because the Governor’s proclamation of May 1, 1959, had directed him to so proceed, the Secretary refused the demands made by the plaintiffs and purposes proceeding accordingly unless otherwise directed by this court.

By his proclamation of May 1, 1959, the Governor of the Territory of Hawaii purported to exercise all of the reapportionment powers he possesses and therein reaffirmed his position that, as territorial governor, he is empowered to reapportion only the territorial legislature in accordance with Public Law 895, approved August 1, 1956, amending the Hawaiian Organic Act, and that the provisions thereof with respect to reapportionment would be effective "* * * with respect to the Thirty-first Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii and applied to each Legislature thereafter” which under territorial status would be elected in November, I960.

[266]*266The question before the court is whether the Enabling Act (Public Law 86-3) permitting Hawaii to vote upon statehood and elect state officials requires that members of the house of representatives of the first state legislature be elected on the reapportioned basis as required by section 4, Article III, of the constitution for the proposed State of Hawaii, or whether the reapportionment should go into effect in the elections of I960.

The constitution for the proposed State of Hawaii, hereinafter referred to as the "constitution,” sets forth in general terms the procedure to be followed in calling, holding, and making the terms of election of the first officials of the State and prescribes the term of office for the persons initially elected. It also provides that on or before June 1 of the year 1959, and of each tenth year thereafter, the Governor shall reapportion the members of the house of representatives in a prescribed manner.

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Bluebook (online)
43 Haw. 261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-quinn-haw-1959.