The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-02
THE PAKLIAMENr OF JAPAN.

g. Representative government was installed
in Japan on July, 10Th by the election Of
members of the new Parliament. 1t is i'm
possible to makeoat the complexion OF the
body from the list furnished by the Jap
auese papers. We all know what Liberal
is ia England, and what Radical or a Con-
servative. Bat we shall have TO wait till
the new body gets to work and parties
divide on questions Of principle before we
shall understand what those designations
mean in Japan,
Notwithstanding the friendship between
Japan and the United States it is only due
to truth to say thatthe American people
have not taken much interest in the estab-
lishment OF a Constitutional regime in that
country. This has been due to the fact that
the new Constitution was framed rather Oh
European than on American models. 1t
was regarded in japan as a liberal instru-
sment; and 1t was certainly a step in ad-
gance TO provide that the edicts of the
crown should be subject to ratification by
the Parliament, and that within certain
limits pTescribedsby law freedom of speech,
assemblage and travel should be secured to
all japanese subjects, a sort Of habeas
corpus recognized and arbitrary preroga-
tiyeS, which constituted the basis of i'm
perial .autocracys should be cuTtailed or
abrogated. 70 advance from despotism
as absolute as that of Russia to a regime
ike this was .undoubted progress.
BgtAmericans have wondered why the
Japanese, wien they were about it, did not
20 a step fQrtAer; abolish all hereditary
distinctions and take. the common-sense
principles OF the Constitution of the United
States as theirEuide, rather than the by brid
Constitution Of tile, German empire OF the
worE-Gut systems Of other European States.
j. seems odd in lespresent day Of light to
7csta1ilsh.5in a country aiming to be cOnsti-
tUtiJual a House of Lords to offset a repre-
sentative assembly OF the people. One
half Of the japanese House of Peers
consists OF princess counts, viscounts and
DaruuS, who are: members by right of birth
or are elected by their own order: the other
half are peers appointed for life by the
crown. As to the members OF the House
.Oi Representatives, a double property
qualification Is enforced; a candidate must
pay 500 a year in taxes, which, in that
country, pIesumes considerable wealth.
and the electors must pay SIS a year in
taXes. These provisions appear to have
been borrowed from the French Constitu-
5tion Of 1880, which broke down so lament
ably in 1913. 81 led in France to a chronic
stale OF discomfort among the proletariat.
and it cannot but be followed by the same
result il Japan. As TO the House of Peers,
one of two fates awaits it; either it will be
almost a nullity, like the House Of Lords
IN England. or it will take an active part
IN legis Iation, in which case it is pretty
>ireto legislate for the few at the expense
OF the many. In either case it will prove
without advantage to the country
o. Tie toughest problem in domestic admin
oistration with which the Government will
. have to- deal is the press laws. As they
stand they give to the Government such
: absolute control of the newspapers that
>. hbertyof the press is mere delusion. By
tile latest. mails we read of two editors
being sent to. Jail for four years for " men
aeIng the; peace of the country" That is
rather vague phrase. If we had such
law. here: our. prisons might be,inconyen-
.iently. crowded with captive editors at each
ELECTION. The japanese are great news
paper readers; they support more Journals
than all the rest of Asia put together; the
arrest Of popular editor might provoke an
uprising Of serious magnitude
But this question Of home politics is Of
less interest at present than the question
of the foreign treaties. The United States
are the only. Christian nation with which
Japan las a treaty that was voluntarily
concluded by both parties. Japan's rela-
fions with all the nations of Europe are
slill regulated By the old treaties which
Rere eatorted from japan at the lannon's