The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-18
JAPAN'S RULER
OPENS PARLIAMENT
He Reads His Speech From the
Throne to a flushed
Assemblage.

The Japan Times of Dec 20 says
The Imperial Diet being convened fol-
Tuesday, the members of both Houses
met at their respective halls that
morning at TO- The members were di-
vided into nine sections, in each
House, by drawing lot, and each sec
ton elected it's director and vice direc-
| tor.
Wednesday Official Gazette contains
the following Imperial Rescript:
! WEI by virtue of Article of the
! Imperial Constitution and Article of
the Law OF Houses, hereby order the
| Imperial Diet to be opened on the 18th
| December.
'.IPrivy Seal and Sign Manual1
'ICountersigned by the
Ministers of Stated"
THE EMPEROR OPENS THE
SESSION.
AT IL o'clock on Friday morning.
ushered by Count Toda, Grand Master
of Ceremonies, the Emperor entered the
Throne room in the House of Peers,
in the midst of an impressive silence.
The members of both Houses of the
Diet had previously taken their posts
as usual the floor of the Peers
Chamber and SO had the Ministers OF
State and other functionaries on either
side of the Throne room. They receiv-
ed the Emperor with a profound obei-
sance. Then His Majesty, standing be-
fore the Throne, read from a scroll
handed by the Prime Minister, as fol-
lows:
We open herewith the session of the
Imperial Diet and now address the
members of the House of Peers and Of
the House of Representatives.
we are deeply pleased that the re-
lations of Our Empire with all the
treaty Powers are more cordial than
ever
I'VE have commanded Our Ministers
of State to draw such plans as are cal
culated to adequately meet the re-
quirements of the national progress
and defences and to submit to the Diet
the Budget for the 10th fiscal year of
Meiji Q907-19o8) and drafts of various
laws, founded on those plans. We
trust that you will all take our solicit
tude to heart and endeavor to answer
our expectations by fulfilling your duty
of celebrating in harmony and ap-
proving the measures
handed the scroll to Prince Tokuga-
wa, President of the House of Peers,
who had stepped forward to receive it. |
This finished the ceremony and His |
Majesty was ushered out, all heads |
bowed in deep reverence. After few |
minutes rest, His Majesty returned to |
the palace.
The Imperial personages who had |
preceded the Emperor in the Peers
House and were present at the cere-
mony, were II. I. H. the Crown Prince,
T. 1. H. Arisugawa, Kan-in and Flu
shimi Jr. These Princes Mr.. Sugita,
President of the House of Representa-
tives Marquis Kuroda, and Mr.. Mino-
IRA, Vice President respectively of the
two Houses and Messrs. Ota and Hay
ashida, Chief Secretary respectively
also of the two Houses, received the
Emperor at the entrance of the Peers
House, while Prince Tokugawa led the
way before the Emperor on His Ma
esty's arrival and return. The En-
oeror was driven in grand coach of .
state.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIV
After the return of Fl. NJ. the En-
,eror, the House met to discuss the .
eply to the address from the Throne, :
elected a committee of nine to draw
Up d draft reply, and went into recess. :
At 1155 a. m. the House re-met, and !
dr. Haseba, chairman of the commit
ee read the following draft reply:
May it please Your Majesty.
your Majesty honored the Imperial
Diet with your presence to conduct the
pening ceremony in its twenty-third I
ession in person, and granted us the
;racious address, by which we are
eeply impressed. We, Your Majesty's
tumble subjects, will carry out a most
areful elaboration and discharge our
hare in the conduct of state affairs,
o that we may fulfill the august
wishes of Your Majesty and deserve
he trust of the nation.
"TEIICHI SUGITA,
President of the House of Representa-
tives, respectfully submits this re-
ply to the Throne
The draft was unanimously adopted
y the House. and Mr.. Sugita was au-
horned to convey the reply to the
alace.