Notification, No. 58., April 14, 1875

Notification, No. 58.

[From the “Japan Weekly Mail,” April 17, 1875.]

An edict having been made in the terms of the annexed decree, I hereby make this known.

Imperial decree.

On ascending the imperial throne we assembled the nobles and high officials of our realm, and took oath before the gods to maintain the five principles, to govern in harmony with public opinion, and to protect the rights of our people.

Assisted by the sacred memory of the glorious line of our holy ancestors, and by the union of our subjects, we have attained a slight measure of peace and tranquilly

So short a time, however, has elapsed since the late restoration that many essential reforms still remain to be effected in the administration of the affairs of the empire.

It is our desire not to restrict ourselves to the maintenance of the five principles which we swore to preserve, but to go still further, and enlarge the circle of domestic reforms.

With this view, we now establish the Genro-in to enact laws for the empire, and the Dai-shin-in to consolidate the judicial authority of the courts. By also assembling representatives from the various provinces of the empire the public mind will best be known and the public interest best consulted, and in this manner the wisest system of administration will be determined.

We hope by these means to secure the happiness of our subjects and our own. And while they must necessarily abandon many of their former customs, yet must they not, on the other hand, yield too impulsively to a rash desire for reform.

We desire to make you acquainted with our wishes, and to obtain your hearty cooperation in giving effect to them.