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We, with the advice of Our Privy Council, hereby give Our Sanction to the present Law of Finance and order it to be promulgated.

The 11th day of the 2nd month of the 22nd year of Meiji [February 11, 1889].

[Countersigned by the Ministers.]

Article I.—The financial year of the Government shall commence on the 1st day of the 4th month in each year, and end on the 31st day of the 3rd month of the following year.

All transactions of matters relating to receipt and disbursement of the revenues and expenditures of each financial year, shall be completed on the 31st day of the 11th month of the following financial year.

Article II.—All receipts from taxes and all other resources shall be treated as revenues, and all expenses, as expenditures. Revenues and expenditures shall be embodied in the general budget.

Article III.—Sums appropriated for each financial year shall not be applied to the payment of expenses belonging to another financial year.

Article IV.—No Government Office is allowed to keep special funds other than those provided for by law or ordinance.

Article V.—The general budget of annual revenues and expenditures shall be laid before the Imperial Diet of the previous year, at the beginning of its session.

Article VI.—The general budget of annual revenues and expenditures shall be divided into two parts, the ordinary and extraordinary; and each part shall be subdivided into Titles and Paragraphs.

The following documents shall accompany the budget for the information of the Imperial Diet:—

1. Paper stating the amount of the estimated expenses demanded by the respective Departments of State. In this paper every item in each Paragraph shall be explicitly stated.