ART. 52. No member of either house shall be held responsible outside the respective houses, for any opinion uttered or for any vote given in the house. When, however, a member himself has given publicity to his opinions by public speech, by documents in print or in writing, or by any other similar means, he shall, in the matter, be amenable to the general law.

ART. 53. The members of both houses shall, during the session, be free from arrest, unless with the consent of the house, except in cases where taken in flagrante delicto, or of offenses connected with a state of internal commotion or with a foreign trouble.

ART. 54. The ministers of State and the delegates of the government may, at any time, take seats and speak in either house.

CHAPTER IV.-THE MINISTERS OF STATE AND THE PRIVY COUNCIL.

ART. 55. The respective ministers of State1 shall give their advice to the Emperor, and be responsible for it.

All laws, imperial ordinances and imperial rescripts of whatever kind, that relate to the affairs of State, require the countersignature of a minister of State.

ART. 56. The Privy Council shall, in accordance with the provisions for the organization of the Privy Council, deliberate upon important matters of State, when they have been consulted by the Emperor.

CHAPTER V.-THE JUDICIAL POWER.

ART. 57. The judicial power shall be exercised by the courts of law according to law, in the name of the Emperor.

The organization of the courts of law shall be determined by law.2 ART. 58. The judges shall be appointed from among those who possess proper qualifications according to law.

No judge shall be deprived of his position, unless by way of crimi nal sentence or disciplinary punishment.

Rules for disciplinary punishment shall be determined by law.

ART. 59. Trials and judgments of a court shall be conducted publicly. When, however, there exists any fear that such publicity may be prejudicial to peace and order, or to the maintenance of public morality, the public trial may be suspended by provision of law or by the decision of the court.

1 The Council of Ministers in its present form dates from 1885, but its organization is governed by an ordinance of 1889. The Council is composed of 10 ministers:

1. Prime Minister.

2. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

3. Minister of the Interior.

4. Minister of Finances.

5. Minister of War.

6. Minister of Marine.

7. Minister of Justice.

8. Minister of Instruction.

9. Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. 10. Minister of Communications.

The institution of the Court of Cassation dates from 1875. A law of 1891 governs the organization of the courts. The jury system does not exist in Japan.

ART. 60. All matters that fall within the competency of special tribunals shall be specially provided for by law.

ART. 61. No suit which relates to rights alleged to have been infringed by the illegal measures of the executive authorities, and which should come within the competency of the Court of Administrative Litigation, specially established by law,1 shall be taken cognizance of by a court of law.

CHAPTER VI.-FINANCE.2

ART. 62. The imposition of a new tax or the modification of the rates (of an existing one) shall be determined by law.

However, all such administrative fees or other revenue having the nature of compensation shall not fall within the category of the above clause.

The raising of national loans and the contracting of other liabilities to the charge of the national treasury, except those that are provided in the budget, shall require the consent of the Imperial Diet.

ART. 63. The taxes levied at present shall, in so far as they are not remodeled by a new law, be collected according to the old system. ART. 64. The expenditure and revenue of the State require the consent of the Imperial Diet by means of an annual budget.

Any and all expenditures exceeding the appropriations set forth in the titles and paragraphs of the budget, or that are not provided for in the budget, shall subsequently require the appropriation of the Imperial Diet.

ART. 65. The budget shall be first laid before the House of Representatives.

ART. 66. The expenditures of the Imperial House shall be defrayed every year out of the national treasury, according to the present fixed amount for the same, and shall not require the consent thereto of the Imperial Diet, except in case an increase thereof is found necessary.

ART. 67. Those expenditures already fixed and based upon the powers belonging to the Emperor by the Constitution, and such expenditures as may have arisen by the effect of law, or that relate to the legal obligations of the government, shall neither be rejected nor reduced by the Imperial Diet, without the concurrence of the govern

ment.

ART. 68. In order to meet special requirements, the government may ask the consent of the Imperial Diet to a certain amount as a continuing expenditure fund, for a previously fixed number of years.

ART. 69. In order to supply deficiencies, which are unavoidable, in the budget, and to meet requirements unprovided for in the same, a reserve fund shall be provided in the budget.

1 This law was promulgated in 1890.

2 The Law of 11 February 1889 on finances (33 articles), which governs budgetary questions, was completed by a law of 1890.

ART. 70. When the Imperial Diet can not be convoked, owing to the external or internal condition of the country, in case of urgent need for the maintenance of public safety the government may enact all necessary financial measures, by means of an imperial ordinance. In the case mentioned in the preceding clause, the matter shall be submitted to the Imperial Diet at its next session, and its approbation shall be obtained thereto.

ART. 71. When the Imperial Diet has not voted on the budget, or when the budget has not been brought into actual existence, the government shall carry out the budget of the preceding year.

ART. 72. The final account of the expenditures and revenue of the State shall be verified and confirmed by the Board of Audit, and it shall be submitted by the government to the Imperial Diet, together with the report of verification of the said board.

The organization and competency of the Board of Audit shall be determined by a special law.1

CHAPTER VII. SUPPLEMENTARY RULES.

ART. 73. When it may become necessary in future to amend the provisions of the present Constitution, a project to that effect shall be submitted to the Imperial Diet by imperial order.

In the above case, neither House shall open the debate, unless not less than two thirds of the whole number of members are present, and no amendment shall be passed, unless a majority of not less than two thirds of the members present is obtained.

ART. 74. No modification of the Imperial House Law shall be required to be submitted to the deliberation of the Imperial Diet. No provision of the present Constitution can be modified by the Imperial House Law.

ART. 75. No modification shall be introduced into the Constitution, or into the Imperial House Law, during the time of a regency.

ART. 76. Existing legal enactments, such as laws, regulations, ordinances, or by whatever names they may be called, shall, so far as they do not conflict with the present Constitution, continue in force. All existing contracts or orders, that entail obligations upon the government, and that are connected with expenditure, shall come within the scope of Article 67.

1 Law of 1889.

LIBERIA.

The Republic of Liberia had an American origin. It is composed almost exclusively of negroes whom different colonization societies have directed to certain points on the Ivory Coast since 1822. These colonies, situated beside each other, formed a union in 1837 (Commonwealth of Liberia) under Thomas Buchanan, its first governor. But it was not until ten years later that a convention actually met to solemnly proclaim the independence of the new State and give it a Constitution. This Constitution modeled after that of the United States of America bears the date of 26 July 1847 and it was ratified by the people in the following September. At the biennial election held on 7 May 1907, several amendments were adopted by a twothirds vote of the people.1

CONSTITUTION OF 26 JULY 1847,2 AS AMENDED 7 MAY 1907.3

PREAMBLE.

The end of the institution, maintenance, and administration of government, is to secure the existence of the body politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying in safety and tranquillity, their natural rights, and the blessings of life; and whenever these great objects are not obtained, the people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity, and happiness.

Therefore, we, the people of the Commonwealth of Liberia, in Africa, acknowledging with devout gratitude the goodness of God, in granting to us the blessings of the Christian religion, and politi'cal, religious, and civil liberty, do, in order to secure these blessings for ourselves and our posterity, and to establish justice, insure domestic peace, and promote the general welfare, hereby solemnly associate, and constitute ourselves a free, sovereign, and independent State, by the name of the Republic of Liberia, and do ordain and establish this Constitution, for the government of the same.

1 This introductory paragraph is based upon F. R. DARESTE ET P. DARESTE, Les Constitutions modernes (3d edition, Paris, 1910), vol. II, pp. 656-657.

Passed at Monrovia by unanimous consent of the people of the Commonwealth. lish text in the British and Foreign State Papers, 35: pp. 1301-14.

Eng

3 These amendments, which were adopted by a two-thirds vote at the biennial election,

7 May 1907, are here inserted in their proper places. English text in a printed pamphlet in the State Department files (cf. Papers Relating to Foreign Relations of the United States, Washington, 1910, part 2, pp. 831-2).

ARTICLE I.-BILL OF RIGHTS.

SECTION 1.-NATURAL AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF ALL MEN.

All men are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent, and inalienable rights; among which are the rights of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and of pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.

SECT. 2.- ALL THE POWER IS INHERENT IN THE PEOPLE. GOVERNMENT INSTITUTED FOR THEIR BENEFIT.

All power is inherent in the people; all free governments are instituted by their authority, and for their benefit, and they have the right to alter and reform the same when their safety and happiness require it.

SECT. 3. -RIGHT OF ALL MEN TO WORSHIP GOD ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES OF THEIR OWN CONSCIENCES.

All men have a natural and inalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences, without obstruction or molestation from others; all persons demeaning themselves peaceably, and not obstructing others in their religious worship, are entitled to the protection of law, in the free exercise of their own religion, and no sect of Christians shall have exclusive privileges or preference over any other sect; but all shall be alike tolerated; and no religious test whatever shall be required as a qualification for civil office, or the exercise of any civil right.

SECT. 4.- -THERE SHALL BE NO SLAVERY WITHIN THIS REPUBLIC.

There shall be no slavery within this Republic. Nor shall any citizen of this Republic, or any person resident therein, deal in slaves, either within or without this Republic, directly or indirectly.

SECT. 5. -THE PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE, INSTRUCT REPRESENTATIVES, AND PETITION THE GOVERNMENT.

The people have a right at all times, in an orderly and peaceable manner to assemble and consult upon the common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any public functionaries for the redress of grievances.

SECT. 6.-JUSTICE WITHOUT DENIAL. TRIAL BY JURY. HEARD IN PERSON OR BY COUNSEL, &C.

Every person injured shall have remedy therefor, by due course of law; justice shall be done without sole denial or delay; and in all