This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. THE POWER OF THE LEGISLATURE TO REMEDY SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE ABUSES. The exercise of this power may result from petitions which have been sent to the legislature by individuals. For almost all constitutions guarantee to the individual the right to address petitions to the government, and the legislature is the place where most of such petitions go. The legislature may further act of its own motion as it is generally on the watch for administrative abuses. The means of exercising this control are the passing of resolutions condemnatory of the administration, the putting of questions or interpellations to the administration, and, in case satisfactory answer is not made by the administration, the undertaking on the part of the legislature, through committees appointed by it, of investigations which may have in view either the unearthing of abuses which have been suspected or obtaining information de lege ferervda. The extent and influence of the power in all these cases of its exercise depends very largely upon the character of the relations of the executive and the legislature as fixed by the constitution. If in the special political system the executive power is independent of the legislature such control loses all its sanction, except in so far as it may be used for the purpose of legislative reform (de lege the mere fact that officers of the administration are present and practically have to answer questions pot to them has an important moral effect in making them conduct their offices properly. This method of exercising a control over the administration by the legislature is called on the continent interpellation. In the United States such a method of control is not even so important as it is in Germany for the simple...