The New York herald., 1870-10-30
J A p A N
The Teudal System in Process Of Abolition
HALF Million Of People Dependent on
the Lords-The Knights Absorb
the Ofices Of the Empire
Serfdom Abolished.

6erfdom Abolished.
from the Japan (Yokohama) Mall, Sept 81
snort tune ago we gave our readers an account
| of the manner In which the Aikado's government
have dealt with the large body Of foudal nobility,
which It found In possession OF nine-tenths OF the
soil OF the realm and In the enjoyment cf what was
virtually sovereign authority liRe proportion
of the Mikado's subjects. But there was another
task bequeathed by the Shogunate TO It's
In the administration Of the empire which though
Inferior In magnitude and importance to the great
Damio question was one Of inconsiderable DIM
OF vassaIs and dependents ofricial and personal,
who formed the immediate following Of the house OF
Tokugawa. These comprised the two large sections
OF the military caste known as the HaI9m0tO and
the GOkentn.
The Hatamoto were, 1t is wen known, the class
next in rank and influence TO the Daimios the only
distinction between the two being one OF income.
No one could be q Dalmio unless he had nominally
moto's income reached that amount In many In
Stances indeed, HatamOto were branches Of the
Oldest and most lustrIous families 10 the empire;
..Daimion great names Or Barons. they were,
patton OF the Shoguns. II was BY them that almost
civil OF msar vas ed WITH the snSe
exception OF the Gonojiu. or Council OF state,
there M , was ,s. no post & in the administration
OF cities generals Of armies ana the represen
tatives OF Japan IN dealings with foreign Powers
with foreign nations including Lord Elgin's. were
negotiated and concluded, and the chiefs Of the EN-
the same class. When it is added that the lowest
estimate places their number at eighty thousand,
that the estates held by them were distributed
throuRhou nearly every province In the empire, and
that each OF them was tine feuda superior again OF
number OF retainers varying from throe to thirty,
some idea may be formed OF the Importance Of their
position IN the State under the Old regime.
The Gokcnn, though superior In numbers were
ann sror pSay 70 .ne Don 10 RANK
almost identical in name, Tor Kenln is simply o
synonymous term Tor Keral with the ordinary Dai-
MOS retainers. rhe income or GOkenin seldom
reached hundred kokus; but the broad line Of de-
marcation between them and the Hatamoto was not
possession by the latter Of the privilege OF the O.me.
miye or admission to the presence Of their lord, Of
looking on and being looked upon BY the Shotgun.
The Gokenln were subdivided into several classes
according TO the duties they performed, such as O.
riki, the mounted militia; Doshin the travelling at
tendants IN the train OF the palanqun &c, but these
distinctions were not Of much importance.
These two large bodies OF the military class, FORM
ing tue personal ioioWng & OF the sneEans
certainly not less than half milhOn souls, were
supported from generauon to generation by the m
comes assigned them In lands or in rce out or the
more than princely revenue at the disposal OF their
lord When, therefore, IN the spring OF the year
an imperial enemy, and his dignities and revenues
forfeited, his dependents were involved IN the same
ruin and their source Of livelihood cul on. How DID
the MiKado's government deal with tie host OF its
enemies who had thus fallen into Its power and
whom 1t could, had 1t SO pleased. have reduced to
instant beggaryf We venture to reply-in manner
at once so liberal and statesmanke that 1t has sell
dom been paralleled In history.
In the first place 1t allowed the Sh ogun, after his
unconditional submission to retire to his ancestral
estates In Sumpu, taking with him as many OF his
retaners as he chose, except OF course those ring
mitted themselves by their determined enmlty to
the Emperor. At the outbreak OF hostilitles con.
perhaps tenth Of the whole, either fOreseeing the
issue OF the struggle or from genuine feeling OF
to the rgniul Sovereign; -; s, 1as
by being allowed to retain their former holdings.
But besides these two bands OF those who adhered
to their chief in his fallen fortunes and those
who from the first espoused the Mlkado's cause,
there remained large number, the great
to the last moment, and who therefore mad no
claims the gratitude OF either Of the parties to the
continue In the enjoyment OF their incomes for the
present, until matters OF greater urgency and Inn
came alter the Oe had sa.sfacsOry
worked out the great problem OF the position OF the
Daimios IN The the manner m Of which our readers are are
designation I i Of Ha.amoto and substitute the term
Tailu "a person OF conslderation) instead thereby
acknowledging their high social position, but ignor-
ing their eudal relation toward the usurpng power
The Subsequent behavior Of the government
toward the body cannot be better described than in
the words OF the pr0Clamatl0n making known the
arrangement they have finally determined On:-
Some time ago, says this document, the Han, in order
to the confusion that had to prevail between
and right and stimulated BY observing the condition Of
the countries beyond the restored TO the Emperor the
lands which they held in fee His Majesty thereupon sub
a i his supreme desire 70 establish uniform System Of
with his people S extend the warp and woof Of
of this regulations will be made fixing
the incomes the the all the
Han will be amended in accordance with the principles the
reformed imperial government In with and
following these changes the appeations Chu-tau,
kataifn and Shi together with the design OF
inferior ranks, herewith abolished, and the
terms Shizoku and Sosu substituted. II ID the
ElnperOr's command that the regu-
laons fixing their incomes have been shall
be placed under the Jurisdiction Of the authores OF
place where they reside 1t shall be their duty yield mp
cit obedience to his Majestys Wishes remember each
his position and diligence the discharge
o61cisl functions TO which he may be called.
The land from which they have hitherto derived their
taken from them and they will In future be paid In
rice government storehouse. As the incomes OF
Tau Sh and those OF lower grades liked by
laon suitable allowance will be made those their
reainers who in their service the third
The names salaries all such per-
There u objection to remaining In