form of government.... It was with this object in view that in the
eighth year of Meiji (1875) we established the Senate, and in the
eleventh year of Meiji (1878) authorized the formation of local
assemblies.... We therefore hereby declare that we shall, in the
twenty-third year of Meiji (1890) establish a parliament, in order
to carry into full effect the determination we have announced; and we
charge our faithful subjects bearing our commissions to make, in the
meantime, all necessary preparations to that end."


[Footnote 1: C. Lanman, The Japanese in America, p. 38.]

[Footnote 2: Mossman's New Japan, p. 442.]

[Footnote 3: C. Lanman, The Japanese in America, p. 14.]

[Footnote 4: The translation of the whole memorial is given in C.
Lanman's Leading Men of Japan, p. 87.]

[Footnote 5: The Imperial decree of 1875.]

[Footnote 6: The translation given in C. Lanman, Leading Men of Japan.
p. 47.]

[Footnote 7: See the Appendix of Griffis' The Mikado's Empire.]