The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-05-29
JAFAN'S PARLIAMENT.
At Last Accounts the Government Was
Having a Stormy Time in the House.

Having a Stormy Time in the House.
The Japanese parliament or diet, as
it seems to be officially called, has sat
for nearly five months, and the chief
characteristics of the proceedings of the
lower house so far are marked hos
tility to the government and marvel
Gus facility for raising delicate points
of constitutional law and practice, the
discussions on which are usually car
ried on with great heat to resolution
of the house, which the government
either refuses wholly to accept or &C
cepts only after some difficulty. But
when the last mail left matters had at
length reached what appeared to be
deadlock in regard to two important
topics.
By the constitution delegates of the
government can appear at any time in
either house and explain government
measures. They are also liable to be
questioned by the members. This prac-
tice has led to frequent squabbles dele
gates refusing to answer particular
questions, the house calling for new
delegates and the government support
ing their delegates The first serious
difference between the house and the
government took place on this ques-
ton, and now it has been raised again
in another shape. A prolonged debate
on the budget having been concluded
by the closure, just as the division on the
main question was about to be taken,
the delegate from the foreign Office
claimed the right to speak, as delegates
could speak at any time.
There were violent objections to a
delegate speaking when he could not
be answered, and the house voted
against hearing him. The following
day the prime minister himself APP
peared in the tribune, and declared
that the refusal to hear the delegate
was unconstitutional, and that if the
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 the constitution amended.
The house appeared disinclined to take
this view, but the delegate withdrew,
observing that, as the prime minister
had said all he wanted to say, he need
not stay.
The second topic is much more seri-
Gus. The committee on the budget
had cut down the estimates in the most
extraordinary way; offices are abolished
Gncluding legations abroad, the staff
of departments are reduced to a mere
fraction of their number, sub-depart-
ments and bureaus are swept away al
together, and the salaries of the officials
remaining, beginning with the 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, classed as fixed ex
penditures, shall not be reduced by
the diet without the concurrence of the
government, and an ordinance was
passed defining these fixed expenditures.
The lower house, however has re-
solved that this ordinance is ultra wires
and has interpreted this clause of the
constitution for itself in sense wholly
opposed to that of the government
and in such way as largely to reduce
the items of expenditure, with which il
has no power to deal without the con
currence of the latter. Both the prime
minister and the minister of finance de
Iivered vigorous addresses to the house
on the unconstitutional nature of it
proceedings, and the minister of finance
declared that the government would, i
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, bu
there appeared at the time the mai
left to be no prospect of the house al
tering its position. The house OF peer
had not yet come to the consideration
of the matter. London Times