7.  The members of the Upper House shall be elected by the people from among those particularly eligible for the position.

8.  Parliament shall select, and the Emperor shall appoint, the Premier, who will recommend the other members of the Cabinet, these also being appointed by the Emperor.  The Imperial Princes shall be ineligible as Premier, Cabinet Ministers, or administrative heads of provinces.

9.  If the Premier, on being impeached by Parliament, does not dissolve Parliament he must resign but one Cabinet shall not be allowed to dissolve Parliament more than once.

10.  The Emperor shall assume direct control of the army and navy, but when that power is used with regard to internal affairs, he must observe special conditions, to be decided upon by Parliament, otherwise he is prohibited from exercising such power.

11.  Imperial decrees cannot be made to replace the law except in the event of immediate necessity in which case decrees in the nature of a law may be issued in accordance with special conditions, but only when they are in connection with the execution of a law or what has by law been delegated.

12.  International treaties shall not be concluded without the consent of Parliament, but the conclusion of peace or a declaration of war may be made by the Emperor if Parliament is not sitting, the approval of Parliament to be obtained afterwards.

13.  Ordinances in connection with the administration shall be settled by Acts of Parliament.

14.  In case the Budget fails to receive the approval of Parliament the Government cannot act upon the previous year’s Budget, nor may items of expenditure not provided for in the Budget be appended to it.  Further, the Government shall not be allowed to adopt extraordinary financial measures outside the Budget.

15.  Parliament shall fix the expenses of the Imperial household, and any increase or decrease therein.

16.  Regulations in connection with the Imperial family must not conflict with the Constitution.

17.  The two Houses shall establish the machinery of an administrative court.

18.  The Emperor shall promulgate the decisions of Parliament.

19.  The National Assembly shall act upon Articles 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 18 until the opening of Parliament.

EDICTS OF ABDICATION

I

We (the Emperor) have respectfully received the following Imperial Edict from Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager Lung Yu:—­