r.OYKRNMKXT AND POLITICS 



607 



Italy is a constitutional monarchy. Under 

 the constitution of 1848, as subsequently modi- 

 fied and expanded, the executive is vested in the 

 king, and exercised through his ministers. The 

 legislative authority is exercised by the kin<r in 

 conjunction with a senate of about 363 members 

 in 1906 (composed of the princes of the royal 

 house who are of age, and of an unlimited num- 

 ber of members selected by the ministry and 

 nominated by the king for life, who have ren- 

 dered eminent services to the country, are 

 upwards of forty years of age, and pay taxes to 

 an annual amount of $600); and a chamber of 

 puties, elected by conditional universal 

 suffrage for a period of five years, though the 

 king can dissolve the chamber at any time. All 

 money bills must be initiated in the chamber. 

 Senators and deputies are unpaid, but travel 

 free. 



Japan. The Empire of Japan consists of 

 the Archipelago of Niphon, which includes the 

 four large islands of Honshiu, Kiushiu, Shikoku, 

 and Hokkaido, together with Formosa and the 

 Pescadores, ceded oy China in 1895, and nearly 

 4,000 smaller islands. Although Japan is re- 

 garded as one of the absolute monarchies of 

 the world, it possesses a Constitution which 

 was adopted in 1889. It provides that the 

 Emperor shall be the head of the empire, with 

 all the rights of the sovereign and exercising 

 full executive power, with the advice and 

 assistance of the Cabinet Ministers who are 

 appointed by himself. There is also a Privy 

 Council and a House of Diet, consisting of 

 two branches, a House of Peers, and a House 

 of Representatives. The House of Peers is 

 composed of members of the imperial family, 

 counts, viscounts, and barons, and an indefinite 

 number of persons appointed by the Emperor 

 for meritorious service to the state or for erudi- 

 tion, and persons elected by each Fu and Ken. 

 The total membership of the House of Peers is 

 364. According to trie Constitution the mem- 

 bership of the House of Representatives shall 

 be 369, a fixed number being returned from each 



oral district. Voting is by secret ballot 

 ami the proportion of members to the popula- 

 tion is one to each 126,000. Under the Consti- 

 tution absolute freedom of religious belief and 



tice is assured so long as it does not 

 interfere with general peace and order. There 



state religion, but the mass of the people 



follow one of the eleven n-rts of Sliilltoislll. or 



teen sect* and twenty-five creeds 



1 iddhi-iu. ThepreHent Mikado is MutMihito, 

 \\ho was born at Kyoto mi November ,'J. 1862. 



11. -ucceeded his father. Komei Teimo. I'ebril- 



ary 13. 1867, and was married to I'm 

 ;ko, the daughter of Prince Irhij<>. <n\ I 

 ruary 9, 1869. She was born May 28, 1850. and 

 their issue has been: Prince Yoshihito, Pr 

 into, Prince Yamihito, Princess Masako, 

 i few Fuaako, Princess Nobuko, Princess! 



iko. 

 The 7/n'r Apparent. The Imperial ; 



which was passed February 11, 1889, 

 definitely fiv-. the succession to the throne 



UJM.II the next malt- defendant of t lie sovereign. 



re-ult. Prince Y'-lnliili. t he oldest son of 



the Mikado, is the heir apparent. He was born 



August 31, 1879, and was proclaimed Kotaishi, 

 or Crown Prince, November 3, 1889. On May 

 10, 1900, he was married to Princess Sadako, 

 the daughter of Prince Kujo. They have had 

 two children. 



The Ministry. The Ministry, or Cabinet, 

 comprises the following departments: President 

 or Premier; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister 

 of Finance, Minister of the Interior, Minister ot 

 Justice, Minister of War, Minister of the Navy, 

 Minister of Public Instruction, Minister of Agri- 

 culture and Commerce, Minister of Communica- 

 tions. 



Kansas. Successive Constitutions were 

 framed in 1857, 1858, 1859, and 1861, the last 

 of which, amended nine times up to 1897, is still 

 in force. Amendments, proposed in either House 

 of the Legislature, and agreed to by a two-thirds 

 majority of each House, are submitted to the 

 people, and, if approved by a majority of those 

 who vote, become part of the Constitution. The 

 Legislature consists of a Senate of forty members, 

 elected for four years, half their number retiring 

 every two years, and a House of Representatives 

 of 125 members, elected for two years. Any bill 

 may originate in either House. The Senate tries 

 cases of impeachment brought by the House of 

 Representatives. Legislators must be voters, 

 resident in the county for which they are elected. 

 The chief executive officer of the State is the 

 governor, elected for two years. He has the 

 power usually invested in State governors, 

 including authority to call special sessions of the 

 Legislature, a limited pardoning power and a 

 veto which may be overridden by a two-thirds 

 majority of each House. Other officials elected 

 I for two years are the lieutenant-governor, 

 auditor, treasurer, attorney-general, and super- 

 intendent of public instruction. 



Kentucky. The Constitution adopted in 

 that year was succeeded by other Constitutions 

 in 1799, 1850, and 1891, that of 1891 being still 

 in force. Amendments of the Constitution, pro- 

 posed in either House of the Legislature and 

 agreed to by a three-fifths vote of all the members 

 of each House, are submitted to the popular vote 

 and, if then approved, become part of the Con- 

 stitution. The Legislature, known as the Gen- 

 eral Assembly, consists of a Senate of thirty- 

 eijrht members elected for four years, one-half 

 retiring every two years, and a House of Repre- 

 sentatives of loo members elected for two years. 

 Hills for rai-ini: money must originate in the 

 House of Hepre-entativos. In order to become 

 law any bill at its final passage must have a 

 majority voting for it not less than two-fifths 

 of the 'members elected to each House. The 

 HOIIM- of Representatives ran impeach; the 

 Senate tries impeachments. Eligible to the 

 Senate are all citi/ens :i() years of age who have 

 reeled in the S \ears and in the district 



one year next before the election. Represcnta- 

 u ist be 24 years of age and must have 

 I in t he State two years, and in the county 

 or district one year next before election. 

 chief executive authority resides in the governor. 

 elected for four years. He has the powers usually 

 vested in State governors, including a veto 

 \\hirh may be overridden by a majority of all 

 the members elected to each House. Other 



