Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-25
JAPANESE LAWMAKERS.
How the Two Houses OF Parliament Are
Chosen.


How the Two Houses OF Parliament Are
Chosen.
The prominent part taken by Japan
in the Hawaiian question and the fire.
quent mention of the Japanese Parlia-
ment have given rise to much inquiry
as to the composition Of that body and
the Japanese election methods.
The latter are fashioned after those
of the United States in many respects
the preliminary caucuses and con-
ventions being like those held in this
country. in most particulars.
The Japanese Parliament consists OF
House of Representatives known as
the Shingi-In and a House of Peers
known as the Kizoku-In. There are
three hundred members in the lower
house, who are elected for four years,
and about two hundred members in the
House of Peers whose term of Office is
seven years.
There is no positive number set for
the membership of the upper house be-
cause there are many hereditary men,
bers, and their number may be aug
mented at any time by appointment
at the hands of the Emperor. All mar
quises and dukes are members Of the
House Of Peers by virtue of their
titles; the members of the imperial
household and imperial princes are al
SO members of the House of Peers.
Barons, counts and viscounts are eli
gible to election to the upper house,
but none of these ranks may be repre-
scented by more than one-fifth of its
total membership. In addition to these
there are the various persons whom
the Emperor rewards for distinguished
services with a seat in the upper house.
The members who are elected are
chosen from the largest taxpay-
ers in the various districts. Fifteen
men whose taxes amount to a certain
sum year are elected in each district,
and they elect one of their members.
He must be at least thirty years old
and may be a merchant, manufacturer
or a member or one OF the learned
professions. The president and the
vice-president of the upper house are
appointed by the Emperor.
Members of the lower house are all
elected by popular vote. Every male
of the age of twenty-five years who has
lived one year or more in the district
in which the election takes place may
vote, provided he has paid at least 10
yen in direct taxes, exclusive OF what
he paid in local taxes. When the
voter is thirty years old he is also
eligible to membership in the lower
house without any further qualifica-
ton. But a man who already holds an
Office in the judiciary, police or cor
rection department, who has an office
in the imperial household or is in any
way connected with the custom-house,
may not become candidate for the
House of Representatives.
When members are elected they
come together and elect three of their
number as worthy of the place of pre-
siding officer; from these three the
Emperor selects the president and
vice-president of the body.
The lists of voters are made up by
officers of the various districts, and are
completed on or before April 20. From
that time until July /, when the cleo
tons take place, much active campaign
work is done. The nominations are
made in the various counties or dis
tricts, and on election day the chief
officer of the county takes charge Of
the voting in his district. The voting
places are all in the Municipal Build
ing, and are open on election day from
4 a. m. until p. m. The voter pre-
sents himself at the inspectors desk,
on which the ballot-boxes are placed,
and, after writing his name, and OPP
posite that the name of the person for
whom he desires to vote, on book
kept for that purpose. he deposits his
ballot. In cases where voter cannot
write, an officer may write for him,
but the election books must show that
such help had been extended to the
voter
Outside the building there are many
men who yell and cheer for their can
didate and button-hole the voters as
they come to the voting-places, and act
in many respects like the crowd around
a rural American election place. Those
who compose the outside cheering and
electioneering crowds are for the most
part young men from the schools and
colleges, and their influence with the
voters is anxiously sought by the can
didates.
After the polls are closed the county
officers take charge OF the boxes and
place them under lock and key in the
Municipal Building, where they remain
until the next morning, when they are
opened and examined by Board Of
Inspectors. on whose report the can
didates are declared elected.
The next general election will take
place in July, lS9e.-New York Tri-
bune.
In Brookline. Mass, where, It seems,
many novel educational schemes take
root, history Is being taught by be-