Certainly the Press need culture if all that Mr. Semoto M.P. said about them on the Sth inst. in the House of Representatives be true. His attack has led to about as _—singular a constitutional development as" one can well imagine, for on the 7th inst. a member of the Upper Chamber mored the following resolution, which was assed almost unanimously 2 7 "Whereas the speech of one Nemoto, member of the House of Representatives, in that House on the 5th ins relating to the amendment of the Regulations of the House of Peers was an insult to this House; 4 Bo it therefore resolved that this House considers the act of the Lower House in "acquiescing in such a speech as unlaw-
NVhat the effect of this singular measure will be no one can prophesy. but it "Hil certainly not improve the relations Between the Houses which are now about a3 bad as they can possibly be and which threaten to bring constitutional Government to an end in Japan.
The Hunaz Steamship Ca.
The leading capitalists of Japan will shortly start a new steamship Ca. on the Yangtze under the above name, with the object of opening up Hunan. The capital of the Company will be one million and a half of yen and three steamers of 700 tons each will soon be built. The line will extend over 325 miles between Hankow and Siangtan via Yochou "ind Changsha and up the Siang river, and will be extended at an early date to Changte up the Yuan river. The Diet will alma-t certainly give an official guarantee for five years of 6 per cent per annum. The promoters are already very confident of success and they speak even now of the time when small Japanese steamers will ply on the canals that extend like a net-work over Southern China. This will involve of course the dredging of the canals, but the Jopimese think that their influence with the central and southern Viceroys is great enough to yet that done and to get mostly all the trade that is going as well.
At the time the Anglo-Japanese treaty was announced, some publicists talked about safeguarding Southern China in a we: that seemed to indicate that they were afraid the French might prove as troublesome there as the Russians have proved in the north. Perhaps this new steamship scheme and the great commercial ambitions behind it had something to do with this nervousness. I might mention in this connection that the movements of the mobs in Kuangsi are being watched here with interest.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.