Wo are indebted to the Consul-General for Japan (Mr. Odagiri) for the following official account of the Constitution Day banquet at Tokio His Majesty"the Emperor's address to the guests at the banquet in the Imperial Palace on the 11th instant, was as follows It gives us great pleasure to entertain the foreign representatives, officials, and distinguished persons upon the occasion of this anniversary. Wo deeply regret that we have been compelled by circumstances beyond our control to sever the peaceful relations with a neighbouring Power, but we are pleased to say our relations of friorés'-ip are daily increasing in cordiality with those States which are so worthily represented here, and it is our earnest desire to draw those relations still closer, and we propose health and happiness of the Sovereigns and Rulers of those Powers."
The Belgian Minister, doyen of the Diplomatic' Corps, thanked His Majesty in the following speech "gir, in the name of the Corps Diplomatique, I have the honour to tender to Your Majesty homage of very sincere and respectful wishes for your Majesty's happiness, that of Her Majesty, and of all the Princes of your Majesty's house. We have heard with a lively and painful emotion the words with which Your Majesty. has been pleased to make known to the representatives accredited to Your Majesty's Court, the profound regret which Your Majesty felt in being obliged to break off peaceful relations with a neighbouring nation. We are faithful interpreters of our Sovereigns and Chiefs of State in expressing the hope that the two powerful Empires with which we are holding relations of constant friendship may not long be deprived of the blessings-of peace. We respectfully thank your Majesty for Your Majesty's kindness to ourselves and we will not fail to transmit to our august Sovereigns and Chiefs of State Your Majesty's wishes for their health and happiness.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.