Page:Constitutional imperialism in Japan (IA constitutionalim00clemrich).pdf/37

House, was accused of unprofessional conduct as a lawyer and of having abused his official position in the interests of certain legislation, and finally not only deposed from office, but also expelled from membership. Later a conflict arose between the House of Representatives and the Government on the subject of the strict enforcement of the treaties; this led to a suspension for ten days. When the House reassembled, it was deemed by the Government to be in the same unconciliatory mood, and the session was again suspended for two weeks. The following day, however, dissolution was ordered, so that practically nothing of importance was accomplished in that session.

The sixth session was short-lived and came to an untimely end, because the House of Representatives passed an address to the Throne, impeaching the Cabinet. By this time the situation had become very critical: the Ito ministry stood firm, and the opposition were aroused by two dissolutions within six months; so that the harmonious co-operation of the legislative and the executive departments appeared almost an impossibility. At this juncture, the war with China broke out and temporarily cleared the political atmosphere. There were, indeed, those who claimed that the Ministry was not averse to a war which should divert the minds of the people from politics and unite the nation in a common patriotic cause.

Consequently, when the seventh (extraordinary) session was convened at Hiroshima in October, 1894, it took only a few days to get organized and vote, with unanimity, an appropriation of 150,000,000 yen for carrying on the war.

The eighth session, which met at the regular time two months later, also passed the budget with absolute unanimity, and sank all party differences in an earnest effort to support the government in the prosecution of the war.

But a year later, when the ninth session began, partisan feelings were again aroused in connection with post-bellum measures, and finally resulted, in the House of Representatives, in a resolution of want of confidence in the Cabinet. This was met by a suspension for ten days, after which that resolution was voted down. This result was due to a coalition between