462 



JAPAN. 



bly of provincial governors was convened at 

 Tokio in April, to discuss plans for local im- 

 provements, the expediency of representative 

 parliaments, and other topics. In September 

 the establishment of a provincial parliament 

 was announced, with a low property qualifi- 

 cation for electors, a ballot, and biennial elec- 

 tions held under the control of the prefects of 

 the provinces, under a system similar to that 

 in force in France. 



Modifications of the press laws, agreed upon 

 in June, comprehend the abolition of imprison- 

 ment of journalists and the substitution of fines 

 instead, and establish regulations considerably 

 more moderate than those which existed pre- 

 viously, although one or two arbitrary features 

 were suffered to remain. 



A decree was passed in June conferring deco- 

 rations on deserving common soldiers and sail- 

 ors of the army and navy. Hitherto only offi- 

 cers had been thus distinguished. The Japan- 

 ese navy has been increased during the year 

 by the gunboats Kongo Kan, Fuso Kan, and 

 Hiyei Kan, built in England, and a fourth gun- 

 boat, the first built in the country, which was 

 launched in July. 



The prevailing political discontent led to the 

 assassination on the public streets of Tokio in 

 open day, May 14th, of Okubo, Minister of the 

 Interior. The act was a political one, was 

 planned to produce a sensational effect, and 

 was carried out in a dramatic manner. Pre- 

 vious to committing it, the assassins sent a pa- 

 per to the Mikado avowing their aim, and set- 

 ting forth their reasons. They appear to have 

 been a part of an association, the " Patriotism 

 Advocating Society," having for its object the 

 revolution of the Government, beginning with 

 the assassination of the ministers. The minis- 

 ters Kido and Okubo had been marked out for 

 the first attack; but Kido died some time be- 

 fore the execution of the plan was begun, and 

 only Okubo fell a victim to it. The assassins, 

 meeting Okubo, attacked, overwhelmed, and 

 dispatched him, wiped their blades on his 

 clothes, then went to the palace of the Mikado, 

 saying, "We have killed the Minister of the In- 

 terior, the traitor! take us prisoners." The 

 murdered minister left only $140 of property, 

 having recently mortgaged his private residence 

 for the sum of $8,000, which he had sent just 

 before his death to Satsuma for the support of 

 the schools, and for the relief of the sufferers 

 by the civil war of 1877. Six of the assassins 

 were beheaded in July, and fifteen others, their 

 accomplices, received lighter sentences. The 

 son of Okubo and the son of Kido were pro- 

 moted, shortly after the assassination of the 

 former, to the class of hereditary nobles. Of 

 the four ministers left from among the twenty 

 who supported the Mikado at the great politi- 



il retormation, under the operation of which 



empire has entered upon a new life, one, 



lira, has been spoken of as weak from old 



lie is, however, still under sixty, and was 



quite recently m full vigor of mind and body. 



Another, Okuma, the Finance Minister, is de- 

 scribed as a man of great ability, remarkable 

 for his clear head and prodigious memory. The 

 Japanese officers often say that he is never to 

 be seen with a pen in his hand or papers be- 

 fore him; but he directs the finances of the 

 empire very soundly, and knows every detail 

 connected with them. 



A serious mutiny of soldiers took place at 

 Tokio on the nights of the 23d and 30th of Au- 

 gust. A part of the regiment of the Imperial 

 Guards, dissatisfied with the awards of decora- 

 tions for services during the rebellion of 1877, 

 formed a conspiracy to seize their arms and 

 leave their barracks. The plot was discovered, 

 and suitable precautions were taken to guard 

 against the danger. The rioters, who numbered 

 about one hundred men, succeeded in forcing 

 their way out of their quarters, after murder- 

 ing one colonel and two officers of lower rank, 

 but found themselves confronted by an over- 

 powering force, and were speedily reduced to 

 submission. The second rising, on the 30th, 

 was less serious and only partially successful. 

 It consisted in an attempt to set free the mu- 

 tineers arrested on the first occasion, and was 

 quelled without loss of life. A court-martial 

 was held for the trial of the mutineers, and sat 

 during an extended period. All possible means 

 were used to induce the prisoners to make a 

 full confession of their motives, accomplices, 

 and instigators even torture, it is alleged, hav- 

 ing been employed for the purpose but all 

 in vain. The court met October 15th to pro- 

 nounce judgment. Fifty-three private soldiers 

 of the infantry and artillery battalions were 

 condemned to death, forty-eight to three years', 

 seven to two years', and eighteen to one year's 

 imprisonment in various parts of the country. 

 Of lesser offenders, twenty-three were sen- 

 tenced to confinement, and one to be flogged. 

 Three men only were acquitted. The sentences 

 were carried out at once. The condemned 

 men were shot in batches of fifteen on the 

 morning following. The executions lasted four 

 hours. 



A singular disturbance took place in Yoko- 

 hama in June. Two Buddhist priests declared 

 that the sun moves and the earth stands still. 

 Some students ridiculed the assertion, and were 

 set upon by a mob and mortally wounded. 



One of the chief stimulants of the political 

 uneasiness in the empire is the discontent of 

 the disbanded Samurai, or soldier- retainers of 

 the old-time daimios, now called Shizoku, with 

 their present condition. They were possessed 

 of power and influence, and were able to live 

 at ease; now they are without employment and 

 without means. Their condition and move- 

 ments are well described in the report of the 

 missionary of the American Board at the Kobe 

 station, made in June, 1878. " Many," he says, 

 "have tried business, but have found them- 

 selves unable to cope with the long-trained 

 merchants, and so have lost their all. Others 

 are but little disposed to work in any capacity 



