There is a dead-lock in the Diet; and the issue no one can foresee. Whether the Diet is to be again dissolved or the Minieters are to resign is uncertain, but it is an uncertainty which will be set at rest within the next few days. Ths amended Budget involving a. gross reduction of some eight million, eight. hundred thousand. yen was aentito the Government by the Lower House for its consent last week, and on Monday last, all the Unbinet Ministers with the exception of Count Ito, who is still ind' posed, Mr. Mutsu and Count Yamagata being present, the acting Premier informed the Representatives of the government's inability to consent to the amended estimates. As it sots forth the situation clearly cannot do better than give a summary of 'THE ACTING PREMIER'S SPBECH, merely remarking that the whole position turns upon the article of the constitution to which reference is made, as the Diet expressly precluded from cutting down such expenditures as the article embraces, without the concurrence of the Governmen It will be noticed that according to Count Tnouye's view the power of the Diet is practically restricted to less than one-fourth of the national expenditures. Bat to give the Premier's speech:—* He stated that the Government would express its view relative to the expenditure referred to in the 67th article of the Constitution. The amount decided upon by the House fur the expenditures based upon the powers appertaining to the Emperor, which arose by the effect of law, and which appertained to the legal obligations of the Government, was yen 63,956,616; and in these items alone a reduction of yen 3,446,835 has been made. The total amount reduced by the House represented no less a sum then yen 6,446,833. Already fixed expenditures are the' expenditures essential to the permanent existence of the State. If the supply necessary to the progress of the State was to be withdrawn things must reach " standstill. If the actual expenditure was greatly reduced not only would settled progress be impossible but the national status would necessarily decline, The already fixed expenditures of this year were within the limits of the amount once approved by the Diet (in the Budget of the 24th year of Mei; and such extraordinary amendments as the House had made could only be regarded as an obstruction to the progress of the country. The constitution and the law were the guides in the conduct of administrative and financial affairs, and it was a proper rule to provide the supplies necessary to the State in the Budget, in accordance with the constitution and the law. Some of the reductions decided upon by the House were proposed with a view to altering the existing law in the future, and the Government could not agree with this reduction of the expenditure, seen that that expenditure had arisen by the effect of law. The Government was sincere in its intention to improve several sections of the Administration so far as possible, but the Diet's reduction by such a great gum as yen 6,446,833 compelled the Government to recognise that grave obstructions would it the conduct of administrative business, and that it could not accomplish the duties devolving upon it. The Government had tried to dispense with unnecessary expenditures as much as possible and it did not oppose the reductions trative expenditure. If such large reductions were effected at one time, however, it would be impossible He further referred lopment and advance of the country since the Restoration, and to the duty devolving upon the Government of safeguarding the people at home and manifesting the country's glory abroad. This principle was found in the Imperial Decrees promulgated since the Emperor ascended the Throne. Money was necessary to the development and advance of the national power; and Japan was not the only country which was confronted with a gradually increasing scale of national expenditure. In the interests of the State he was afraid to reduce expenditure beyond a certain limit lest development and progress should be arrested. The House recognised, the necessity of expanding the Navy and yet rejected the expenditure for building men-of-war. The reasons why the House abolished the expenditure were not enough to warrant the suspension of building men-of-war. Th construction of men-of-war was avery urgent matter, and one essential to national independence. The Government would like to improve the Navy and set matters in order, but at the same time it recognised the necessity of extending it. In conclusion the acting Premier stated that the amended Budget was not, in accord with progressive principles and that the Government -could only express its disagreement with the estimates as decided upon by the House."
198 EFFECT ON THE HOUSE, This speech was powerless to correct. the bellicose tendencies of the Representatives, however, and before adjourning, Mr. Kono Hironaka, a leading and respected member of the Popular party, brought in a motion to return the amended Budget to the Govern: ment for its approval. Ina powerful speech introducing his motion Mr.: Kono afirmed that the old abuses associated with clan government still existed, almost, if not quite as bad as ever, thatthe object of the louse was to correct these abuses, and that unless the Government was prepared to stand in open antagonism to the expressed h and purpose of the nation and to invite a series of conflicts it would give its consent to the reduced estimates, One or toyo feeble voices were raised on the Government side but the motion was eventual} passed by a largo majority. Thus close the 16th instant,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.