Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1089

 CONST A HD GOVERNMENT

Both Houses may respectively initiate projects of law, can make repre- sentations to the Government as to lavs or upon any other subject, and may present addresses to the Emperor.

The House of Peers (373 members) is composed of (1) male members of the Imperial family of full age, twelve in number ; (2) princes and marquises of the age of 25 and upwards (13 princes and 3b marquises) ; \3) counts, viscounts, and barons of the age of 25 and upwards, and who have been elected by the members of their resjiective orders, never to exceed one-fifth of each order (103 counts and 17 member ■«, 397 viscounts and 69 members, 429 barons and 62 mernb 3 above the age of 80 years, who have

been nominated members by the Emperor fur • services to the

State or for erud: - and 91 ot ersons who

shall have been elected in each Fu and Ken from among and by the 15 male inhabitants thereof, above the age of 30 v og therein the highest

amount of direct national taxes on land, industry, or trade, and have Deen nominated by the Emperor. The term of membership under (3) and (5) is seven years ; under (1), (2), and (I) for Hfe. The number of members under (4) ana (5) must not exceed the number of other members.

The members of the House of Representatives number 331, a fixed number being returned from each electoral district. The proportion of the number of members to the population is one to about 136,522. V ^cret single

Electors are (1) on f not less than full 25 years

of age, (2) permanent and actual lie electoral district for not

less than a year; (3) and paying la:: le amount of not less than

3 yen in a year for more than one year, or direct taxes other than land tax to the amount of not less than 3 yen in a year for more than two years or of land tax together with other direct national taxes to the amount of not less than 3 yeu in a year for more than two years. In general, male Japanese subjects of not less than 30 years of age are eligible to the House of jBgpseeentAtiw*, without any qualification arising from payment of taxes, ilified for membership are the Imperial Household officials, priests, students, teachers of elementary schools, government contractors, election officials. The President and Vice-President of the House of Peers are nominated by the Emj>eror from among the members, and President and Vice-President of the House of Representatives are nominated by the Emperor from among three candidates, elected by the Hou- f both

Houses receive an annual salary of 5,000 yen ; Vice-Presidents, 3,000 yen ; elected and nominated members of the House of Peers and members of the House of Representatives, 2,000 yen, besides travelling expenses. The Imperial Diet, which must meet annually, has control over the finances.

At the elections held in May, 1920, the following parties were returned to the Diet :— Sayukawai (Government Party), 281 : Kenseikai, 109 ; Kokuminto (Popular Party), 29 ; Koshin Club, 25 ; and Independents, 19.

The Cabinet (formed on September 30, 1918) consists of the following members : —

Prim* Minister. — Takashi Ham. Interior. — Takejiro Tokonam i. Foreign Affairs. — Count Yasnya Uchida, War. — General Giichi Tanaka. Marine. — Admiral Tomosabur> Katn.

met. — Baron Korekiyo Tak thashi. Minuter of Justice.— < ount Ohki.