Tokio, March 1.
Resignations were tendered to the Throne through Viscount Makino, the Minister of the Imperial Household, by Marquis Matsukata, the Keeper of the Privy Seal, on the 2ist ultimo, and by Prince Yamagata, the Chief of the Privy Council, on the 23rd ultimo, in connexion with a certain serious case. Candidates for the vacated posts are now being sought.—Eastern News Agency.
It will be remembered that Marshal Pritce Yamagata, President of the Council, was the promoter of an attempt to break off the engagement of the Crown Prince of Japan to the daughter of Prince and Princess Kuni, His agent Baron Nakamura, then Minister of the Imperial Household, was compelled to resign and it was rumoured that the powerful Marshal would have to go also. This rumour has now been justified. Prince Yamagata, who is the head of the reactionary party, has long been regarded as one of the strongest influences in Japan and downfall will cause wide excite ment in Liberal circles.—Ed, Tokio, March 2.
The resignations of Prince Ya-yagata, President of the Privy Council, and Marquis Matsukata, Lord Keeper of the Seals, are repeatedly reported, but there has been no official confirmation of them.—Reuter.
The Eastern News Agency which reported Prince Yamagata's resignation two days' ago is a Japanese Agency, and it seems unlikely that it would have been permitted to telegraph news of such importance if untrue.—Ed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.