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Show A PARLIAMENTARY CONFLICT IN JAPAN New Yosk Sun. The telegram announcing the dissolution or tin- Japanese house of representative! -parks an Important step in a struggle which Logan ulinosi with the Hist meeting of Hie diet in November, 1890. Theatruggle Is in no sense n volvtionary und is proceeding upon strictly constitutional lines. Tiie constitution con-stitution provides that the emperor may dissolve tin- house f representative, but reijiurea that new flections must be held and the house convened again tvStUa live months. Tim house or peers ism Us nature a continuing body, the elective peers hemg , hoseu for a period of years Lonsripn-nilv it b. prorogued until the meeting meet-ing ot liie new diet. Mieu the diet first met, the political parties par-ties ot winch it was composed were in a contused condition. No one of them bad a majority, and even In the ranks of the mure important fractious dissensions existed whirl, srrmcd to lender anything like united poliey impossible. If there was iinuimuity upon any point, it mi-lit possi-lily possi-lily have been found in the desire to bold the cabinet strictly responsible for all its eta, Allhongl the constitution makes the cabinet responsible to the emperor, and not to the diilt, an attempt waj made from the ie.';in;iiiiif t Institute ministerial lespotui-tiii.ty lespotui-tiii.ty upon tbe English parliamentary plan, ilk' Brtl point of contest was upon the OUdget, With reference to winch the didt lias extensive powers. The tioyerunieut submitted the budget, and it was Immedl. atcly attacked. A commlit'e appointed by the house of representative, made swocpin" reductlona, amoiintliiff in the ;r ,,. t", l(i.(i00,(KXi. To this the overnno'i.r would nil agree, nut u compromise w as effected liy which a reduction of some li,O0O,000 was established. The diet finally ad lourned bul w ith the Intention of renewing the struggle nt its next session. This probably affords the explanation of the present situation. I the ti vet t coin-promise coin-promise the government promised, so far us future, reductions were concerned to meet the views of the diet as far,,, possi. I'le. Hill it soon became evident that econ-oniy econ-oniy had been pressed to iu mrme-t limit, ami thai no further reductions could bead adm ited al present. This afforded an oppnr-nmly oppnr-nmly lor Hie opposition, and just before the meeting ,,t the diet last month an lm. porliinl coalition was formed between the cou-ntutional liberal and the radical partii-. Hie avowed purnosc of which was to return the budget to the executive without di-c.-.oi,. on the ground that the promlae I" ' ffeel fnrtlier reduction;, impliedly ii not expressly made, bud not been kept.' Mean-tune Mean-tune the earthquake occurred, and, in addition addi-tion to the ordinary expenditures, which it HM been found Impossible to reduce the govcrnm-nt wa, c iiilronied Willi the ne-es-sily of disbursing tar ire sunn for the reiirs the sufferers. I In- opposition have now doubtless carried out their original programme, and have refused re-fused to discuss the bude-et. Apparently tbey have gone even further, mid have declined de-clined to act upon any measures proposed ty the government, among others the bill for the relief of the carih..iiake sufferers, a matter ol immediate ana pressing neccs-sity neccs-sity In tins they seem to have ncied nn. Wlaely. but. be that as it may, they were untloul.l dly courting what lias come: the dlssoiulion of tin, diet and an appeal o the peopie. Nothing, of course, was crt for the govorument to da but to dissolve the diet, and then under tl.c powers granted hy the constitution to effect by imperial or-ilinauce or-ilinauce what it hud refused to' do. In due time the election will be held and a new house of representatives will be con-vened. con-vened. Meantime the budi'et of last year will reminn ill force, and such matter's as require the sanction of new laws will be enacted b. imperial ordinances, which, when the diet iuccIs, ill be submitted for its approval. ap-proval. 1 |