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such cases the session may be held with closed doors, either upon the demand of the Government or by resolution of the House.

49. To present addresses is to approach the Emperor by presenting to him a certain writing. The meaning of the word ‘addresses’ includes the reply to an Imperial speech in the Diet, addresses of congratulation or of condolence, representations of opinion, petitions, and the like. The writing may be transmitted, or a delegation of the House may be instructed to ask for an audience and present it to the Emperor. In either case proper forms of respect must be observed. The dignity of the Emperor must not be infringed by any proceeding implying coercion.

50. Subjects are at liberty to directly petition the Emperor, a Government office, or the Diet. In the Diet petitions received from individuals are first examined, and then simply transmitted to the Government, or are transmitted with a memorandum containing the opinion of the Diet, with a request for a report of the Government thereon; but neither House of the Diet has any positive obligation to take petitions into consideration, nor has the Government a positive obligation to grant the prayer set forth in the petition. As to petitions relating to legislative matters, although they need not be taken as direct projects of a law, yet a member may in the usual manner make a motion in the House relating to the opinion set forth in the petition.

51. By ‘the rules necessary for the management of their internal affairs’ is to be understood all those provisions relating to the election of the President, of the Business Bureau, the establishment of the different sections, the election of committees, the business of the same, rules of debate, the minutes of the same, rules for the disposal of petitions, those for granting leave of absence to members of the Diet, order and discipline, the business of the accountant of the Diet, and the like. These rules are to be established by the respective Houses, within the limits allowed by the Constitution and the law of the Houses.

52. The present article recognises the freedom of speech in the Diet. The management of the internal affairs of the Diet appertains to its autonomy; consequently violation of the rules of morality and personal defamation by an unrestricted license of speech are to be suppressed and dealt with by the Diet itself, according to its own regulations, and judicial authorities are not suffered to interfere in these matters. Moreover, the votes of the Diet become bases for future laws, and debates by the members are the means by which the harmonizing of different conflicting opinions is to be brought about. Accordingly,