Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-06-06
IaPAN,s PARLIAMENT.

at last Accounts tho Government Was
Having Stormy Tir,e In the House.
The japanese parliament or diet, rs
IL seems ts be officially called, has sat
for nearly five months and the cliicf
characteristics of the proceedings of tho
lower house SO far are marked hos
tilisy>to the government and marvel
Gus facility for raising delicate points
of constitutional law and practice. tho
discussions on which are usually car
ried on with great heat to resolution
of the house. Which tho government
either refuses wholly to accept or ac-
cepts only after some difficulty. But
when the last mail left matters had a:
length reached wllat appeared to.b be
deadlock IN regard to two important.
topics
Blythe Constitution delegates of the
government can appear ct any time in
either house and explain government
measures They arc also liable to DO
questioned by the members. Thisprac
tice has lel to frequent squabblcs dele
gates refusing to answer particular
questions, the house calling for new
delegates and tho government support
ing their delegates The first serious
difference between the house and tho
government took place on this Qucs-
ton. and now 1t has been raised again
in another shape. A prolonged debate
on the budget having been concluded
by the closure, just as the division on tho
main question was about to he taken,
the delegate from the foreign Office
claimed the right to speak, as delegates
could speak at any time.
There were violent objections to q
delegate speaking when hc could not
be answered, and the house voted
against hearing him. The following
day the prime minister himself up
peared in the tribune, and declared
that the refusal to hear the delegate
was unconstitutional, and that if tho
house objected to the rights given to
government delegates the proper course
was to make representation on the
subject, and, if necessary, have that
provision. OF tho constitution amended.
Tho house appeared disinclincd to take
this view, but the delegate withdrew,
observing that, as tho prime minister
had said oil he wanted to say, he need
not stay.
The second topic is much moro scri-
ous The committee on the budget
had cut down the estimates in the most
extraordinary way; Offices arc abolished
Gncluding legations abroad. the staf
OF departments are reduced to a mere
fraction of their number, sub-depart-
inents and bureaus are swept away M-
together, and tho salaries of the officials
remaining, beginning with tile prime
minister himself, are reduced some
times to third Of the present amounts.
The sixty seventh article of the consti
tuition provides that large portion of
the expenditure, classcd as fixed e1-
penditures, I" shall not be reduced by
the diet without the concurrence of tho
government, and an ordinance was
passed defining these fixed expenditures.
The lower house, however, has re-
solved that this ordinance is ultra yHes,
and has interpreted this clause of the
constitution for itself in a sense wholly
opposed to that of the government.
and in sucll way as largely to reduce
the items of expenditure, with which it
has no power TO deal without the con
currrnce of the latter Both the prime
minister and the minister OF finance de-
livered vigorous addresses to the house
on the unconstitutional nature of its
proceedings, and the minister of finance
declared that the government would, if
the house persisted In its course, an
nounce its dissent and take other meas
ures provided by the constitution.
The situation is regarded by the ma
tive press as one of great gravity, but
there appeared at the time the mail
left to BIO no prospect of the house al
tering IFS position. The house Of peers
had not yet como to the consideration
ii the matter. London Times.