GOVERNMENT AND LAW. 



101 



above the age of 30 years, paying therein the 

 highest amount of direct national taxes on 

 land, industry, or trade, and have been nomi- 

 nated by the Emperor. The term of member- 

 ship under (3) and (5) is seven years ; under 

 (1), (2), and (4) for life. The number of 

 members under (4) and (5) not to exceed the 

 number of other members. The entire mem- 

 bership of the House of Peers is to be about 

 300. 



The members of the House of Representa- 

 tives number 300, a fixed number being re- 

 turned from each election district. The pro- 

 portion of the number of members to the 

 population is about one member to 128,000. 

 The qualifications of electors are (1) male 

 Japanese subjects of not less than full 25 years 

 of age ; (2) fixed permanent and actual resi- 

 dence in the Fu or Ken for not less than a 

 year ; (3) payment of direct national taxes to 

 the amount of not less than 15 yen for one 

 year in the Fu or Ken, and in case of income 

 tax for three years. 



The qualifications of persons eligible for 

 election are generally the same as those of 

 electors, except that they must be of not less 

 than 30 years, and need not have fixed resi- 

 dence in the Fu or Ken. The term of mem- 

 bership is four years. 



Disqualified for members of the House of 

 Representatives are officials of the Imperial 

 Household, judges, auditors, officials connected 

 with the collection of taxes, police officials, 

 officials of electoral districts within their own 

 districts, military and naval officers, and priests 

 or ministers of religion. The President and 

 Vice-President of the House of Peers are nomi- 

 nated by the Emperor from among the mem- 

 bers, and President and Vice-President of the 

 House of Representatives are nominated by 

 the Emperor from among three candidates 

 elected by the House. The Presidents of both 

 Houses receive an annual salary of 4,000 yen ; 

 Vice-Presidents, 2,000 yen; elected and nomi- 

 nated members of the House of Peers and 

 members of the House of Representatives, 800 

 yen, besides traveling expenses. No one is 

 allowed to decline these annual allowances. 



The Imperial Diet has control over the 

 finances and the administration of justice. 

 Voting is by secret ballot, and the system is 

 that of scrutin de liste. The Diet must be as- 

 sembled once every year. 



At the head of local administration in the 

 provinces are the governors, one of them re- 

 siding in each of the 46 districts (3 Fus and 

 43 Kens) into which Japan is divided. In 

 1879, city and prefectural assemblies were 

 created, based on the principle of election ; 

 their power is confined to fixing the estimates 



of the local rates, subject to the confirmation 

 of the governors, and finally of the Minister of 

 the Interior. Eligible to the assembly are all 

 male citizens 25 years of age, resident in the 

 district at least three consecutive years, and 

 paying land tax of more than ten yen annu- 

 ally. The franchise is conferred on all male 

 citizens of 20 years residing in the district, 

 and paying more than five yen land tax. An- 

 nually, or in every other year, governors are 

 summoned to the Department of the Interior 

 to deliberate upon matters of local administra- 

 tion. Each district is subdivided into cities 

 (), and counties. (gun~), each with its chief 

 magistrate (cho), who manages local affairs. 

 The Island of Hokkaido (Yezo) has a governor 

 and a special organization. 



To further carry out the principle of decen- 

 tralization and self-government a system of 

 local administration in sM (municipality), cho 

 (town), and. son (village) was established by 

 Imperial Rescript, April 17, 1888, which came 

 into effect April 1, 1889, and is to be applied 

 gradually according to the circumstances and 

 requirements of these localities. 



Religion. By the Constitution absolute freedom of 

 religious belief "and practice is secured, so long as it is 

 not prejudicial to peace and order, The chief forms of 

 religion are (1) Shintoism, with 11 sects; (2)7Juddhism, 

 with 12 sects and 30 creeds. There is no State religion, 

 and no State support. The principal Shinto temples 

 are, however, maintained by State or local authorities. 

 In 1895 Shinto temples, 190,754; priests, 14,927; stu- 

 dents," 1,939. Buddhist temples, 71,821 ; priests, 53,275; 

 students, 9,286. There are also numerous Roman Cath- 

 olics, adherents of the Greek Church, and Protestants. 



Instruction. Elementary education is compulsory. 

 The number of children of school age (6-14) on December 

 31, 1895, was 7,670,837. The following are the educa- 

 tional statistics for 1895 : 



The University consists of a University Hall, Colleges 



of Law, Science! Medicine, Literature, Engineering. and 



Agriculture. It is supported by Government. The bulk 



of 'the elementr ry and higher schools are also supported 



by Government and by local rates. One of the normal 



schools is for high school teachers. 



In 1895 there were 25 libraries in Japan, with 441,034 



jlumes. In 1895, 26,792 books of various kinds, and i:>:\ 



jurisprudence has been established. Judges are irre- 

 movable, except by way of criminal or disciplinary pun- 

 ishment. There is a Court of Cassations at Tokio, which 

 takes cognizance of civil and criminal appeals. There 

 are seven courts of appeal for civil and criminal cases 

 decided in the courts of first instance. There are 49 

 courts of first instance, one in each Fu or Ken, with 

 branch courts in some Fus and Kens having unlimited 

 original civil jurisdiction. As criminal courts they try 



