Page:The constitution of Japan - with the laws pertaining thereto, and the imperial oath and speech. Promulgated at the Imperial palace, February 11th, 1889 (IA cu31924023459880).pdf/21

Rh

—The Government may at any time order the prorogation of either House for a period of not more than fifteen days.

When either House again meets after the termination of the prorogation, the debates of the last meeting shall he continued.

—In case the House of Peers is ordered to prorogue on account of the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the rule set forth in the second clause of the preceding Article shall not apply.

—Bills, representations, and petitions, that have not been voted upon up to the time of the closing of the ImperalImperial [sic] Diet, shall not be continued at the next session. It is, however, otherwise in the case mentioned in Article XXV.

—The closing of the Diet shall be effected in a joint meeting of both Houses, in accordance with Imperial Order.

—In the following cases, sittings of either House may be held with closed doors:—

"1. Upon motion either of the President or of not less than ten Members and agreed to by the House.

2. Upon the demand of the Government."

—When a motion to go into secret sitting is made either by the President or by not less than ten Members, the President shall cause the strangers to withdraw from the House, and shall then proceed, without debate, to take votes upon the motion.

—The proceedings of a secret sitting shall not be made public.

—When the Budget is brought into the House of Representatives by the Government, the Committee on the Budget shall finish the examination of the same, within fifteen days from the day on which it received it, and report thereon to the House.

—No motion for an amendment to the Budget can be made the subject of debate at a sitting of the House, unless it is supported by not less than thirty Members.

—The Ministers of the State and the Delegates of the Government shall be allowed at any time to speak. But the speech of no Member shall be interrupted that they may do so.

—When a Bill has been referred in either House to a Committee, the Ministers of State and the Delegates of the Government may attend the meetings of the Committee and there express their opinions.