from becoming publishera or editors these offices are to be reserved to nien of or over 21 years of age, the Committee unanimously deciding that the discharge of such work by femmlee is neither' becoming nor desirable. A minority of the Committee was "strongly opposed to the principle of empowering the administration to suspend newspaper even fur the limited period of one week." Such a power was unicoistitutional and unnecessary. Viscbunt Tani delivered @ forcible speech in favour of lessening the disabilities under which Japanese journalists Inbour, He held (I quote the' Mail's report) that the power of suspending a newspaper, or interdicting its publication might perhaps hace been necessarily vested in the Administration in the days of bureaucratic government, but since the Constitu' had come into operation n was intolerable.
was distinctly opposed to th of the Constitution, and whether suspension could be ordered for one week or only fur one hour, the fact of illegal interference with liberty of speech stood forth equally salient. Mr, Kato Hiroyuki and Viscount Porio supported the view of the majority of the Committee, the latter emphatically believing "that in the present state of Japmnese society, the power to suspend a newspaper and the exaction of security money were essential." The former, in the course of his remarks, was injudicious enough to twit come of the members with 8 readiness to tou narrow eyes, i Be interpreted by the light ions under which it was compiled, One Mr. Miura promptly jumped upon him, rightly denouncing the idea that the Ca i lit be interpreted, "not according letter of text, but according to the conven lence of legislators." Finally the view of the Committee was adopted by 81 votes to 48; and it may therefore be regarded as certain that the gentlemen of the Press here will continue to groan under
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.