Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 4.djvu/224

 ultimately became the chief target of attack for party politicians.

Another important arrangement effected at this time was that each of the above four clans should send to Tōkyō, whither the Imperial Court had been transferred, a contingent of troops to form the nucleus of a national army, a partial reversion being thus made to the remote era when the Imperial Court exercised military authority.

Nearly four years had now passed since the fall of the Tokugawa, and the Government, reassured as to the measure of support it might expect from the great feudatories, advised the Emperor to issue an edict announcing the complete abolition of the system of local autonomy and the removal of the territorial chiefs from the post of prefectural governor. This memorable decree was promulgated on August 29, 1871. Its further provisions were that the revenues of the former fiefs were thenceforth to be paid into the central treasury; that the appointment and dismissal of all officials were to be within the prerogatives of the Imperial Government; and that the feudal chiefs, retaining permanently one-tenth of their original incomes, were to make Tōkyō their place of residence. The samurai, however, were left in possession of their hereditary pensions and allowances and were not otherwise disturbed.

The mediatisation of the fiefs was now complete; the feudatories had disappeared from the