This bureau is composed of the three chief ministers of state, Sanjo,
Iwakura, and Arisugawa, and the thirteen privy councilors, the names of
whom, as published in the Japan Weekly Mail of date the 22d instant, I
herewith inclose, together with the notification of the constitution and
rules for its government.
[Inclosure in 1338.—Extract from the Japan
Weekly Mail, October 22, 1881.]
The changes in the personnel of the government
consequent upon Mr. Okuma’s resignation, are as follows:
His excellency Oki Takato, previously president of the Genro-in (Senate),
to be minister of justice.
His excellency Saigo Yoreinichi to be minister of agriculture and
commerce, retaining his position as privy councilor.
His excellency Yawada Akiyoshi to be minister of the home department,
retaining his position as privy councilor.
[Page 731]
His excellency Matsugata Masayoshi, previously minister of the home
department, to be minister of finance and privy councilor.
His excellency Sano Tsunetami, formerly minister of finance, to be
vice-president of the Senate.
His excellency General Oyama Iwao to be privy councilor, retaining his
office as minister of war.
His excellency Admiral Kawamura to be privy councilor, retaining his
office as minister of marine.
His excellency Fukuoka Takatada to be privy councilor, retaining his
office as minister of education.
His excellency Yamao Yozo, previously minister of public works, to be a
member of the sanji-in.
(N. B.—This sanji-in is a newly-created bureau, taking the place of the
six sections formerly existing in the privy council. Its chief personnel
will be the three ministers of state and the thirteen privy councilors.
The laws of its constitution will be found below.)
His excellency Ito Hirobumi to be president of the sanji-in.
His excellency Tanaka Fujimaro, formerly minister of justice, to be
vice-president of the sanji-in.
His excellency Sasaki Takayuki, previously vice-president of the Senate,
to be privy councilor and minister of public works.
Mr. Kouo Toshikama, previously minister of agriculture and commerce,
retires from the government.
Mr. Yoshikawa Akimasu, previously acting vice-minister of foreign
affairs, becomes vice-minister of public works.
Mr. Shioda Saburo from chief secretary to be acting vice-minister of
foreign affairs.
Mr. Iwamura Michitoshi, previously senator, to be president of the board
of audit. The following notification has been issued by the Daijo-Kwan
to the cities and prefectures:
Be it known hereby that the constitution and the rules for conducting
business of the sanji-in (board of privy councilors) have been fixed as
follows:
constitution.
- 1.
- The sanji-in shall belong to the daijo-kwan and shall survey the
formation of laws and regulation according to the cabinet
orders.
- 2.
- The members of the sanji-in shall consist of one president, one
vice-president, senators (whose number is not settled), assistant
senators (whose number is not limited, and who rank between the
fourth and seventh class), a non-commissioned senator, who is to be
selected from among the secretaries of the departments. He must,
however, also attend to the duties of his department. But in case of
his being chief secretary of his department, he is exempt from this
election, unless elected in a special meeting of the sanji-in, and a
secretary who is to be selected from among the asisstant senators,
and to work in the private office of the president.
- 3.
- A senator shall, according to the command of the president,
appoint six subordinates as chiefs of the various sections which
transact business under his superintendence.
- 4.
- An assistant senator shall be attached to each section to draw up
propositions and read them in the assembly.
- 5.
- The busines to be transacted by the sanj-in shall be:
- (1.)
- Laying down proposals, framing laws according to cabinet
orders, or amending and forwarding their views on the
same.
- (2.)
- Reporting on laws and regulations which were brought
forward for their consideration from other departments, and
forwarding them to the cabinet with their views on
them.
- (3.)
- To investigate the propositions discussed in the Genro-in,
and to give their opinion of them to the cabinet; they have
power to order them to be rediscussed in the Genro-in, and
to discuss themselves with the genro-in after being
authorized by cabinet order.
- (4.)
- To deliberate upon documents handed to them from the
cabinet in reference to appeals from cities, prefectures,
commissions, departments, and boards.
- (5.)
- To examine the annual reports of the departments and
reports of other descriptions.
- 6.
- Besides the above, the Sanji-in shall have:
- (1.)
- To investigate the quarrels that take place between the
legislative and executive officials, and the differences
arising between the provincial governments and the
assembly.
- (2.)
- To give explanations to the cities, prefectures,
commissions, departments, and boards on complicated
questions which come from the above source.
- 7.
- The Sanji-in may call together all the senators to a meeting in
the cabinet whenever it is found necessary to communicate their
views to the cabinet.
- 8.
- A senator shall, in compliance with the cabinet order, appear in
the Genro-in as commissioner of the cabinet, and consider upon the
propositions made therein.
- 9.
- The following six sections will be established in the Sanji-in,
namely:
- Home bureau (for miscellaneous affairs of the
Sanji-in).
- Foreign sections (for diplomatic affairs).
- Home sections (educational and home industrial
affairs).
- War sections (naval and military affairs).
- Finance sections (national debt, revenue, outlay, and
taxation).
- Judicial sections (administrative justice, constitution of
courts of justice, their power, and release of
prisoners).
- Legislative sections (civil litigation, penal code,
commercial matters, &c.).
- 10.
- The assembly of the Sanji-in shall be divided into two branches,
one general and one sectional. The latter decides in meetings which
take place between the officials of any two sections on questions
arising between them; the former in meetings of all the six sections
in questions concerning them all.
- 11.
- Legislative matters appertaining to foreign treaties, the second
item in article 9, and other matters deemed necessary by the
president, shall be discussed in the general assembly.
- 12.
- When the president has declared his views in the sectional
assembly he may convoke the general assembly to deliberate upon
them.
- 13.
- When the president is absent, the vice-president shall assume his
duties, and in case of both being absent, the president shall
appoint a senator to act as procurator for him.
- 14.
- When the chief of the sectional assembly is absent he shall
appoint one of his colleagues to represent him.
- 15.
- The president, or any senator representing him, shall have power
to decide a question in case of an equal number of ballots on each
side.
- 16.
- The members of the cabinet have the power to deliberate both in
the general and sectional assembly.
- 17.
- Resolutions passed in the general assembly shall be forwarded to
the cabinet in the name of the president. A proposal that is not
submitted to the consideration of the general assembly shall, after
being deliberated upon in the sectional assembly, be forwarded to
the home bureau and from thence to the cabinet, signed in the name
of the president.
- 18.
- In case of any error occuring in the documents thus transferred
from and to the home bureau the secretary shall be responsible, and
for the sectional assembly, its chief.
