明治宪法体制下的旧民法延期问题再探讨

Further Discussion on the Old Civil Code's Implementation Postponed Problem in Meiji Constitution System

1892年6月12日日本第三次帝国议会通过民法商法施行延期法律案,并不意味着旧民法延期问题就此定案。在明治宪法体制下,议会通过的法案尚需经政府上奏天皇裁可,方能具有法律效力。事实上,无论是在酝酿时期、还是法案通过之后,松方内阁中都有不顾议会决议、断行法典的强硬主张。尽管岌岌可危的松方内阁无力实施断行,但也始终未将法典延期案上奏天皇批准。此举为其继任者伊藤内阁赢得了重新考量法典问题的余地。伊藤内阁以明治元勋的政治影响力为后盾,在政府内部设立法典施行调查委员会,讨论法典是否需要延期,夺回了对法典命运的决定权。由于法典施行委员会在旧民法延期问题上难以达成统一,该问题仍必须由伊藤内阁以政治决断的方式作出决定。最终,在第四次帝国议会召开前夕,伊藤内阁将延期法案上奏天皇裁可。尽管旧民法最终延期,但不能将之简单视为政府消极遵循议会的主张,根本上还是伊藤内阁基于自身立场的考量。

Even though the third Imperial Diet had already passed the bill on the codes' implementation postponed on the June 12 th 1892,it didn't mean that the old Civil Code was actually postponed. Under Meiji Constitution System,the resolution made by the Diet still required the emperor's discretion to become legally binding. In fact,Matsukata Cabinet was unable to put it into practice and didn't submit Diet's resolution to the emperor's approval,which gave its successor Ito Cabinet space to reconsider the problem. In the end,before the fourth Imperial Diet,Ito Cabinet acquired the emperor's approval so that the old Civil Code was legally postponed. It's not only the result of which the cabinet passively followed the Imperial Diet's resolution,as of which the cabinet made decision based on its own position.