Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-06-29

unfit them for long sea voyages, they are well
enough adapted to tho navigation of lakes
and rivers, and for coasting from port to port
and crossing from island to island. The
shores of the Japanese group afford great "a.
elites for a coasting trade, from the album.
dance Of harbors and of shelter for vessels oil
small size; and thesefacilitiesa are energetically
used BY the people of the coasts, who keep
afloat vast humber of vessels, from fishing
boats to junks of 800 tons burden. Com
.nerce is free from any impediments by tolls
or duties, and the inland trade is prompted
by great fairs, which, from time to time, are
held at the city of Mako.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
The civil government of Japan is conduct
ed under a system of ancient laws which are
administered with rigor, and adhered to with
singular tenacity. Noindividual in the whole
emhire, however elevated in rank, is above
the law, and those who comply with legal
acquisitions do not seem to have any reason
to dread arbitrary power or capricious tyr
amy. The actual government, though nom-
inally in the hands of the Tycoon at Yeddo,
is in fact conducted by Council Of State,
composed of five members of the highest and
Oldest nobility, appointed by the Tycoon, and
assisted by Minor Council of eight nobies
Under these, in regular and very numerous
grades, are functionarics Of all kinds, from
Ministers of State down TO police officers
The imperial crown descenfs to the eldest
son Of the Tycoon. There are also in the
empire several hundred hereditary princes
who are vassels' of the Tycoon, but are NOM
inally sovereigns within their own d6minions.
JAPANESE RELIGIONS.
There are many religions in Japan. All
sects seem to be tolerated by the Government
and to live in harmony with each other
The authorities of the State appear Indifferent
to mere doctrines SO long as the public tran
guilty is not disturbed. Soon after the in
sftroduction Of Christianity in the tenth centu-
Try, some of the heathern priests petitioned
the Emperor Nobunanga to prohibit the new
and foreign faith. The Emperor asked them
how many different religions there were in
Japan? He was told there were 35 upon which
he remarked: Where IS religions are toll
GRATED, we can easily bear with SO leave the
strangers in peace" Meylen, Dutch offici-
al who resided for several years at Nagasaki,
says in his Sketches Of the Manners and
Customs of Japan - (" Never do we hear of
any religious dispute among the Japanese,
much less discover that they bear each other
amy hate on religious grounds. They esteem
it, on the contrary, an act Of courtesy to visit
from time to time each others gods, and do
them reverence. While the koboe sends an
embassy to the Sinto temple at Isye, to offer
prayers in his name, he assigns at the same
time sum for the erection of temples to
Confucius; and the spiritual emperor allows
strange gods, imported from Siam or China
to be placed, for the convenience of those
who may feel a call to worship them, in the
same temples with the japanese"
The Japanese laws are very severe, death
being in theory the punishment for almost
every ofonse, though in practice imprison-
ment and Aogging are often substituted
The noble and the peasant, the rich and the
poor are punished alike, fines and bail being
unknown in Japan. The laws consist of
simple and ineligible edicts issued from
time to time in the name of the Tycoon,
printed copies Of which are hung up in pub
lie places. There are no lawyers, every man
conducting his own case before the lnagis-
trate, who gives a summary decision, which
is executed without delay. Cases of great
Importance are referred to the Chief Justice
at Mako, or to the Imperial Council at Yed-
do. Justice is said to be administered with
great purity and with much decorum and
solemnity.