Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 4.djvu/66

 Chamberlains, by whom it was transmitted to the Bozu of the "Business Chamber" to be carried by him to the "Conversation Chamber," by the officials of the latter to yet another dignitary, and by him to still another, until, through so many hands as to preclude the possibility of its being tampered with, it reached the Shōgun, who, left alone with it, drew from his bosom a brocade bag in which the key of the box was always kept, and opening it, examined its contents carefully. The operation often required several hours. Such of the documents as demanded the attention of administrative officials, were at once submitted to them, but among the mass of complaints, petitions, accusations, disclosures, representations, and recommendations contained in the meyasu-bako, there were generally several which the Shōgun locked away in a special cabinet for the purpose of seeking fuller information about their contents. To obtain that information he had recourse to officials called O-niwa-ban, a term literally signifying "park guards," but really designating men who served as secret detectives. The "chamberlains" (O- Goyō-toritsugi), the "petition box" (meyasu-bako), and the "park guards" were the three only real instruments of administrative power wielded by the Tokugawa Shōguns. The "park guards" did not enter into the original scheme of government. They were organised for the first time by the eighth Shōgun, Yoshimune (1716-1745), a scion of the Kishiu family, who,