(2.) In cases of urgent necessity it has hitherto been the custom to extort large levies of money from farmers and rich merchants. One Ono Seigorō proposes to substitute for this method of raising money, which he stigmatizes as little better than robbery, a national debt on the European model; and that the Government should borrow money from the people on the security of bonds bearing interest at the rate of 3 or 3½ per cent. The voting upon this measure was as follows: Ayes 123 Noes 30 For the abolition of levies, but against the National Debt 32 Against the abolition of levies, but for the National Debt 2 --- 187 (3.) On reckoning distances, temple lands and villages occupied by Etas (the pariah class) have not been taken into account, because these have not been required to furnish coolie labour to the Government. This has led to confusion—and it is proposed to rectify the error. Ayes 172 Noes 7 Indifferent 13 --- 192 (4.) A proposal to abolish the practice of bearing familiar names. Also that titles be abolished, and great and small known only by their proper personal names. Question not decided. (5.) A motion for introducing into the public service competitive examinations upon the Chinese principle. The sixth debate was upon the question of establishing partnerships between Japanese and foreigners; and here the new institution was upon dangerous ground—the more so in that some of the honourable members spoke of “foreign barbarians.” The foreign representatives felt bound to warn the Government that whatever the House might please to say the treaties must be respected and foreigners spoken of with courtesy. The Government were not slow in apologizing. Two of the debates were extremely interesting; they were translated by Mr. Aston; the subject of the one being prohibition of _seppuku_ (the classical word for _hara-kiri_) and the other a motion that it should be optional for the Samurai to wear sword and dirk. As may be imagined, these proposals met with scant favour. _Seppuku_, it must be remembered, was a punishment, the highly prized privilege of the Samurai, the armiger, or gentleman, of Japan. It saved him from the disgrace of dying by the sword of the executioner, and it preserved his property, which would otherwise have been forfeited, for the benefit of his family. As a voluntary act it is not yet extinct. The death of my friend the heroic General Nogi, the hero of Port Arthur, bears testimony to that. Some of the arguments used by the speakers were full of character; one member defined _seppuku_ as “the very shrine of the Yamato Damashii, the spirit of old Japan, and the embodiment in practice of devotion to principle.”