I started with the Shinsengumi in Bakumatsu

Chapter 206 Freedom and Civil Rights Movement

Now the government is speeding up the promulgation of laws. Less than a week after the promulgation of the Declaration of Human Rights, a draft of the Electoral Law has already been discussed.

This "Election Law" mainly deals with the election of the House of Representatives, and the selection of officials is not included in this.

The core of this electoral law is to ensure that the election of the House of Representatives is fair, just and open, to combat political investment, and to prohibit political donations and bribes.

Such behavior as in the United States, which relies on political donations to win votes and then uses power for personal gain and rewards the donors, violates election laws.

In a country as large as Japan, if this kind of political donation occurs, within fifty years, the nobles and wealthy businessmen suppressed by Yagyu will collude with each other and become aristocratic families and chaebols, directly monopolizing the upper class of the country. By then, the middle and lower class civilians will live in Water is born in fire.

Therefore, Yagyu specifically asked the Ministry of Justice to discuss an "Election Law" to combat these behaviors.

After the election law, there is the official code, followed by industrial and commercial regulations and industrial and commercial tax rules, company systems, and the opening of the Kyoto Stock Exchange.

There is an article in the official code that officials are not allowed to engage in business, use their power for personal gain, or seek improper benefits for their immediate family members and other relatives.

This rule determines that Japanese people who are engaged in politics are not allowed to engage in business, and those who become businessmen are not allowed to engage in politics.

However, Yagyu himself also has factories. These factories have changed legal persons and are run by his wife Okita Kane, and he is no longer involved.

With Yagyu leading by example, others naturally couldn't say much.

As for the emperor, the royal family only holds shares in several factories, but does not participate in the operation, so it is not affected.

At this point, Yagyu didn't do it very thoroughly because of his own selfishness, and gave some sweetness to others.

As for the company system, it is very complete.

Including: limited liability company, which is the liability of all shareholders for the company's debts only up to the amount of their capital contribution. A limited liability company can have branches, but its nature is a branch of a limited liability company.

A joint stock company is composed of shareholders. The capital of the company is equal shares. The shareholders bear liability for the company to the extent of the shares they hold. That is to say, if the company goes bankrupt, shareholders only need to repay the debt in proportion to their shares.

A partnership is jointly operated by multiple partners. The profitability of a partnership is relatively weak because each partner only bears limited liability and is unable to comprehensively manage the entire enterprise.

A limited liability company is a company composed of unlimited liability shareholders and limited liability shareholders. Unlimited liability shareholders bear unlimited liability for the company's debts, while limited liability shareholders only bear limited liability for public debts up to the amount of their capital contribution.

An unlimited company is a company in which shareholders have unlimited liability for the company's debts. This means that when the company goes bankrupt and liquidates, shareholders need to bear unlimited joint and several liability and cannot only bear the amount of their own investment.

An unlimited liability company is a company composed of multiple shareholders. All shareholders bear unlimited liability for the company's debts. This means that the ownership of the company's capital belongs to the investors, and the shareholders have unlimited liability, that is, they cannot give up any rights and interests in the company at will. , otherwise you will face legal risks.

Private enterprise is a for-profit economic organization established by investment or controlled by natural persons and is based on hired labor. Private enterprises include private limited liability companies, private joint stock companies, etc. Such enterprises are usually established with personal investment, owned and controlled by them, and their production and operation methods are mainly based on hired labor.

Foreign companies refer to companies registered outside Japan in accordance with foreign laws. It includes Japanese-foreign joint ventures established in Japan with the approval of the Japanese government, in which the Japanese and foreign partners jointly invest, operate, share profits, and share risks. It also includes Japanese-foreign cooperative enterprises established by foreign enterprises and other economic organizations based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit, in accordance with Japanese law, with the rights and obligations of both parties stipulated in a cooperation agreement, and with the approval of the relevant Japanese authorities.

A wholly state-owned company refers to a limited liability company solely funded by the state and in which the Japanese local government authorizes the state-owned assets supervision and administration agency of the government at the same level to perform the investor's duties. Its characteristic is that shareholders only bear the company's debts, and the company bears unlimited liability for the company's debts. This is established in accordance with the Company Law and reflects the basic characteristics of a limited liability company. However, compared with other types of companies, a limited liability company places more emphasis on the limited liability of investors.

In addition, there are joint enterprises, joint ventures, joint ventures, joint ventures, individual industrial and commercial households, joint-stock cooperative enterprises and foreign-funded enterprises.

Some of them exist now, and some of them were proposed by Yagyu.

Tsuda Shinichi can see that Prime Minister Yagyu attaches great importance to business, which is normal. Although Japan has expanded its basic territory, it is relatively scattered. It is an island country and needs prosperous trade to support domestic development.

In terms of taxation, Yagyu also proposed the establishment of a special law.

Clear standards have been made for various taxes, including industrial and commercial tax, agricultural tax, local tax, inheritance tax, personal income tax, etc.

In addition to these laws and regulations, there are also new laws including marriage laws, inheritance laws, etc. that have been released in just over a month.

At the same time, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank have joined forces to establish the Kyoto Securities Exchange, which will allow companies to be listed, stocks, securities, government bonds, etc. to be traded.

Yagyu has never engaged in these things. Many rules are based on the laws of the old era. Now he is no longer eager to expand externally, or does not need to go to war, so he is thinking of carrying out in-depth reforms at home.

The previous reforms were superficial. He just wanted to get money quickly and make the government rich, so that he could have money to form a new army and enhance the country's military strength.

Now that the Franco-Prussian War is coming to an end, Japan will attend the peace talks as a victorious nation. In this way, Japan's reputation will be resounding throughout the world, and its economic take-off will be just around the corner.

The new laws were implemented one by one, and many officials and nobles were very dissatisfied. Rich businessmen such as Sumitomo, Mitsui, and Ono were also wailing. The main reason was that the government was too harsh on their taxes. It not only levied a tax on company income, but also personal income tax. There is still a tax to be collected, which is as high as 45%!

This tax is not the highest in the world, but for Japanese businessmen, it is no less than poking holes in their hearts.

However, these laws have been passed by the House of Nobles and the nobles have not spoken. What else can they say?

Especially when the richest emperor and prime minister take the lead in paying taxes, you have nothing to say.

Yagyu was busy building the country as a whole, and some people were also busy developing their own ambitions.

Goto Shojiro applied for resignation from the cabinet and left Kyoto. He returned to Tosa Prefecture and contacted the local nobles to launch the freedom and civil rights movement.

He united more than 50 local nobles to establish the Patriotic Public Party, which advocated the abolition of unequal treaties and the establishment of a parliament, which were approved by the local government.

Among them, Kataoka Kenkichi, a member of the Tosa noble clan, actively responded to Goto Shojiro's patriotic public party and gave speeches in various places in Shikoku, mobilizing the noble clans from various places to join it.

Goto Shojiro did not seem as dazzling as Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshimichi, Kido Takayoshi and others during the entire Bakumatsu era, but he was a very smart man.

He had an enlightened uncle, Toyo Yoshida, who brought him into contact with advanced Western culture. After his sovereignty, he looked for talents to sell Tosa's specialties to develop the economy. In addition, politically, he also stood with the Sa Chang Alliance, but not all of them supported it. He opposed the armed collapse of the Sa Chang.

After the reunification of the country, he joined the new government as an official. After seeing Eto Shinpei and Prime Minister Yagyu struggling for power, he recognized the reality. Now he realized that the establishment of the lower house was a new path for him, so he immediately resigned and established the An opposition party.

Goto Shojiro gathered a group of elites within the party to hold a meeting at his home.

He looked around at the crowd and spoke passionately: "Everyone, although Prime Minister Yagyu supports the Declaration of Human Rights and says that everyone is equal in the world, how can those traders who only know the smell of copper and farmers who only know how to farm understand national affairs? ?

Most of them are illiterate and cannot see more than a county. Compared with them, we have read poetry and books, and now we have opened our eyes to see the world and understand the Western powers.

Compared with these civilians, we are more aware of the changes in this world. Soon, the government will open the House of Commons and select members. We are all Japanese citizens and should do our part for the development of Japan.

Before, we had no way to serve our country, but now that we have the House of Commons, we can run for members and go to the House of Commons to serve our country! "

"That's right, Prime Minister Yagyu has always been dictatorial and suppressed the nobles like us. We must go to the House of Commons and let Prime Minister Yagyu know that we are the only ones who can prosper Japan!"

"The dirty merchants only know how to spend money, and the ignorant farmers are illiterate. If we rely on them to govern the country, the country will perish. The Declaration of Human Rights is nonsense. When we are elected as members, we should refute this!"

"Now that Prime Minister Yagyu has exclusive power, and he pushed this matter single-handedly, how can we oppose it?"

Everyone immediately started discussing. When it came to Yagyu Koshi's strict dictatorship, everyone frowned, and even Goto Shojiro felt puzzled.

Kataoka Kenkichi immediately stood up and said loudly: "Everyone, Prime Minister Yagyu is in power only because of his cronies. We are weak and cannot resist, but as long as we develop like-minded people and gather strength, we can one day achieve our goal. Wait for freedom!"

"well said!"

"Freedom, we want freedom!"

"We must overthrow the dictatorship!"

The people of the Patriotic Public Party were highly motivated. They traveled around and tried to gain access, and soon they became the largest opposition party in the four countries from a small political party of more than fifty people, with as many as a thousand people, all of whom were nobles.

Of course, there is no shortage of leaders in the civil rights and freedom movement among the people. Kono Hironaka's family was originally a feudal lord, but after the new government abolished the feudal lords, Kono Hironaka took over his ancestral business and became a big businessman in Fukushima.

He bought John Mill's "Principles of Liberty" when he was only 22 years old. The reason for buying the book was because he was about to take the second national examination and might become an official, so he wanted to expand his knowledge of the West. Unexpectedly, I became addicted to it and awakened the concept of freedom and rights.

When news of the Declaration of Human Rights and the upcoming opening of the House of Commons came from Kyoto, he immediately gave up the idea of ​​becoming an official. Instead, he carefully studied the Declaration of Human Rights promulgated by the government. He immediately realized that the House of Commons was also his opportunity. !

Kono Hironaka immediately contacted his friends, read the "Declaration of Human Rights" to them, and explained his own opinions.

He said: "These laws promulgated by the Prime Minister will completely change the situation in Japan. In the future, national politics will no longer be the prerogative of the nobles and nobles. Even businessmen like us, ordinary citizens and farmers who face the loess and back to the sky can Participate in state affairs!”

Such words shocked the young people present!

"is this real?"

“Can people like us also discuss national affairs?”

"Can those nobles and nobles tolerate us?"

The young people present couldn't believe it and whispered among themselves.

Kono Hironaka stood up and slapped the table and said excitedly: "If it were someone else, it might not be possible, but with the Prime Minister here, who dares to object? Who dares to sabotage this kind of thing?

For example, Eto Shinpei, Shima Giyuu and others launched a rebellion in Kyushu. Tens of thousands of nobles were killed, and more than 20,000 nobles were sent to Tokaido to develop land. This matter was a foregone conclusion!

Friends, from now on, when facing those nobles, we no longer have to feel inferior. With the Declaration of Human Rights, we businessmen are equal to those nobles. They can no longer plunder us at will like they did in the Edo period. Property, an insult to our character!

Friends, we can stand upright and no longer be inferior to others! Not only that, we also have the opportunity to participate in national affairs. I want to form a political party called the Liberal Party. Friends, please join me and let us contribute our strength to the strength of this country! "

These young people have all studied Western culture, and the worst have studied Confucianism and Orientalism. Naturally, they are yearning for politics. When they heard Kono Hironaka's passionate speech, they couldn't restrain themselves and raised their hands. Shouted: "Mr. Kono, count me in!"

"I want to join the Liberal Party too!"

"And I, too, want to serve the country!"

One of them asked: "Then what does our party stand for?"

Kono Hironaka took a deep breath and said loudly: "We want to oppose the British trade privileges in Japan, we want to oppose the trade privileges of the nobles, we want trade freedom, and we want to fight for the rights of civilians!

We must not only unite all businessmen, but also citizens and farmers, everyone must unite! "

Under the leadership of Kono Hironaka, this group of people opened a people's association in Fukushima to attract local residents and farmers.

For local citizens, reducing personal income tax is their biggest concern.

Farmers are also concerned about their income. Reducing land taxes and agricultural taxes is enough to attract farmers to join the Liberal Party.

Because the Liberal Party is a political party that favors ordinary people, it has developed very rapidly. It soon has tens of thousands of members in Fukushima and has a huge momentum.

(End of this chapter)