Ōkuma Shigenobu
In the 1st Ōkuma Shigenobu administration in 1898, Hayashi was appointed Minister of Communications. He rejoined the cabinet again in 1900 under the 4th Itō Hirobumi administration as Minister of Agriculture and Commerce and assisted in the formation of the Rikken Seiyūkai political party. Hayashi retired from public life in 1908.