Page:Political Condition of Japan.djvu/22

 majority of the judges in Japanese courts of justice are to be appointed from among Europeans. These European judges are to be appointed for a term of fifteen years, and the language used in the courts is to be English. For three years after the ratification, exterritoriality will still continue in force. Within eighteen months after the ratification, the Japanese government pledges itself to promulgate a civil code of mercantile laws. As to the tariff or imports, the government is not allowed to put upon any article a tax exceeding twenty per cent. ad valorem.

What advantages are there for the Japanese people in making such a treaty as this? If the public opinion of the Japanese people were consulted, it would speak out with one voice against such a one-sided treaty. But whenever a newspaper speaks of this question, it is always suspended or suppressed. The present Japanese Ministers have not the confidence of the people. Whenever they go out of their own houses, they are obliged to employ four or five policemen with two-handed swords and pistols to protect their persons. Such a government as this, has no right to enter into a treaty, doing away with the most important rights of an independent nation, with European powers.

But after all these humiliating concessions, the Japanese Cabinet did not succeed in the negotiation for the revision of the treaty. Mr. Inouye, the Minister of Foreign Affairs who had been tampering with this subject for ten years, did not resign in spite of his failure. Therefore, deputations consisting of members of the popular party, were sent from different parts of Japan to demand his resignation. Mr. Inouye resigned in consequence.

About this time many deputations were sent to Tokio from all parts of Japan. Their object was twofold. First, to ask the Cabinet to explain its foreign policy; and second, to petition the government to relieve the poor farmers from oppression of a heavy overtaxation. But the Cabinet issued one of its despotic edicts on December 27th, 1887, and expelled all the members of the deputations from Tokio. Thousands of the policemen marched to all parts of the capital, where the members of deputations were living, and expelled more than four hundred people