LOBBY(3IL. lobia. lobiuni, laubia, from OHG. foub•i. Ger. Lanbe, arbor, front 011G. /mil, Ger. Laub. leaf). That part of the assembly hall of a legislative body where private per-on, are per mitted to enter for the purpose of eonsulting with In the political of the United states, the term refer- also to the persops who frequent this place for the purpose of in fluencing the votes of legislator,. They are called 'lobbyists' and their business 'lobbying.' (Inc of the leading causes of the lobby in the United States is the method of legislation by committee-. bills being first discussed by small committees and frequently approved by the legislature after little or no public debate. It may thus happen that a measure of importance to an individual or corporation may be carried through the legisla ture without arousing the consideration which its real nature demands. This io.lind enables putt r ful interest: to bring pressure to bear upon the legislative committee to induce a favorable report which could not be exerted effectively upon the legislative body as a whole. Corporate interests habitually maintain experienced and influential lobbyists at American legislatures. The consti tutions of most of the States of the Union h eve attempted to lessen the evil of illegitimate I, 1) hying by forbidding the legislature to enact laws of special application and by providing heavy penalties for the offense of bribery. Set, ral
states. notably California and Georgia. have Lone even further and made the business of lobbying a felony punishable by disfranchisement and dis qualification from holding office. in addition to the regular penalty for felony. The constitutions of North Dakota and Wyoming declare that the practice of log-rollin7, which is really a form of lobbying, shall be treated as bribery. while the Constitution of South Dakota requires of every member of the Legislature an oath that lie has not accepted a free pass on a railroad for any vote which he nix- east or influence which he n ay exercise in the enactment of any law. The eourts. have repeatedly held that contract: which may have for their object the influencing of legislation in any other than the recognized and legitimate mode nmst he held void.
Consult: Bryce, The A merieun Commonwealth appendix (2 vols., New Fork. 1895) ; Cooley, Constitutional Limitations, p. 166; Tanner, The Lobby and MILL(' Men (Albany, 1888) ; Report of the United States Railway Commission, p. 84; First Report of the Interstate Commerce Com mission, p. 7.