Page:Constitutional imperialism in Japan (IA constitutionalim00clemrich).pdf/35

The second session was almost entirely consumed in a bitter fight over the budget. Fortunately, the appropriation of $500,000 for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago was put through by itself in a supplementary budget. Vain attempts were made to amend the publication regulations, the law for public assembly, and other regulations, in a way to grant greater freedom of the press and liberty of speech. The main strength of the opposition, which had a good working majority, was spent upon reductions of the budget; and the government, insisting that the reductions proposed were too drastic for administrative purposes, finally dissolved the lower House on Christmas Day.

The third session, which was a special session, necessitated by the dissolution of the previous regular session, was marked by two conflicts: one between the lower House and the Government on the subject of interference in the election of members of that House; and one between the two Houses with reference to the respective powers of deliberation and consent in respect to the budget. In the former case, the House of Representatives by a large majority passed a resolution arraigning the Government for improper interference in the February elections. As a result of this resolution, the session was suspended for one week. The dispute between the two Houses arose from the fact that the House of Peers made amendments in the budget sent up from the House of Representatives, by restoring some items expunged by the latter. The majority of the representatives contended that the House of Peers, though competent to diminish or expunge items, exceeded its authority when it inserted items, because, according to the Constitution, the budget must originate with the executive, and any new item must be submitted first to the lower House. The upper House, however, insisted that it had equal rights of amendment with the lower House, and not only sent its amended budget down a second time, but also voted an address to the Throne on the question at issue. The Emperor, having consulted the Privy Council, decided that “neither House is superior or inferior to the other except … that … the lower House receives the budget from the Gov-