Evening star., 1920-02-08

Legislative branch are hedged about
; most carefully. It's sessions are limited
! to three months each year. but the
! duration of a session may be pre-
! longed or an extraordinary session
may be convoked by imperial order
The emperor has the absolute right to
| veto. He has authority to dissolve the
1 house of representatives at any time
! and TO order another election. 1t is
evident that the members of that body
who have gone through the ordeal of
| an election campaign will not hastily
| incur the hostility of a sovereign who
has this authority. ..-
In addition to the right to dissolve,
there are other powers almost equally
effective for the enforcement of the
| imperial will. The emperor during
the nine months when the diet is
not sitting may issue an ordinance in
| place of law or take all necessary
financial measures. A declaration that
this is authorized only in case of
urgent necessity has little force. as
he is the sole judge. and the require
! ment that his action must be approved
! by the diet is quite futile. because
when the diet meets action will al
ready have been taken If the diet
tails to make appropriations those of
! the preceding year may be followed,
as was the rule in Germany under the
empire. The sovereign has the right
to prorogue the house of representa-
tfves for fifteen days.
! The manifest object of this preroga-
tive is to suspend proceedings when
an unpleasant discussion is pending
and thereby still further curtail the
activities of representatives within
the three month session. His ma ajesty's
ministers, or their subordinates de-
/ tailed by them, may appear and be
| heard at the sessions of either house
or of their committees. Measures
may be introduced by tie minister's.
/ This is theoretically a helpful pro-
vision. but its beneficial effect ID
| neutralized. Such measures have pre-
cedence over all others. with uniimft-
ed right of discussion on the part OF
the ministers, or their subordinates,
SO that bills desired by the members
can have little opportunity When q
measure advocated by the ministry
fails. or one adverse to their wishes
is passed. there still remains the cus-
tom of sending a rescript from the
emperor requesting the diet 10 re-
verse itself. method which. though
seldom utilized. has fever failed to
obtain the desired results. Hss
Amendment by Decree.
Mention must finally he made of
the right to amend this constitution.
This can only be done by a project
submitted to the diet by imperial
ordinance. The diet has no right Of
initiative and there has been no
amendment during the thirty years
in which the constitution has been
operative. In a progressive govern
, ment the opportunity for amendment,
| though naturally carefully guarded,
has come to be regarded as impera-
| tive.
/ Reference has been made to the
powers of the emperor: in fact. au-
thority is not Immediately exercised
by him. The Japanese monarch pre-
sents many striking resemblances to
/ other sovereigns of the orient, who
act through a grand vizier or other
| subordinates. He is secluded from
his people. The massive walls and
the wide moat surrounding the inn
perial palace at Toxic are Indicative
of a ruler of the olden type, and
| of the isolation in which he lives
His ministers act for him, and. .ae
| was the case in Germany. they are
responsible not to the diet, but TO
him. Reverence for the emperor 10
Independent of his personal quali-
ties or his actual participation in the
direction of affairs
! Japan made wonderful strides
during the reign of the late Em.
peror Mutsuhito, and leadership was
I ascribed to him in many of the events
of the time. The present emperor
| is regarded as a much less forceful
! character. The respect of the people
seems to be for the institution rather
| than for the individual Removal
| from the sphere of activity places the
ruler beyond criticism; he can do
no wrong. In the political move-
ments which have looked toward re-
| form or liberalism the dignity of the
emperor is left unattached. Not for
i 100 years." an advanced Japanese
| liberal said to ME. will any PROPOSE
| tion be seriously entertained for the
! substitution of a republic for the
| present monarchy"
| Parties Arc Powerless.
| Party government does not exist.
Powerful influences near to the throne
whose opinions have usually pre-
vailed demand that members Of the
| cabinet detach themselves from po-
litical parties. Again quoting Prince
| Ito, he said: 1T is absolutely neces-
sary for the government to have no
connection whatever with any potit-
ical party" There is also a privy
council of some thirty-nine menu
bers, established in 1888, whose func-
all matters Of state. Nine members
Of the cabinet belong to this council.
whose decisions may be overruled or
set aside by the other thirty mem
bers. Beyond all these. and really
above them. are the genro, or e.sss
are intimate advisers Of the sover-
eign. There are usually about half
a dozen members selected from those
who have rendered notable servfce
in peace or war. No official list IL
published Prince Yamagata, al,s-
81 he t.