THIRTY YEARS' PROGRESS IN JAPAN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1625, 2 August 1887, Page 3

THIRTY YEARS' PROGRESS IN JAPAN.

The Mikado has abolished feudalism, built a navy, constructed docks, engineering woiks, railroads, telegraph linos ; organised a smart body of police, introduced new systems of taxation, the voto by ballot, and sent more than a thousand young men to other countries to study the arts, sciences, politic?, and religion of those countries. . Representatives appear at every European oapital ; a postal system like that of England is established m the country ; the national holiday every fifth day is Abolished, and Sunday is adopted SB the day of reat. Newspapers and books by the thousand are published ev.ry year and a system of elementary eduoation introduced, not unlike that of England, whereby over 23,000 schools are carrying on an important work among the rising generation. At thia present time between five and six millions of scholars of ali ages may be found m the sohools of Japan In place of the " happy despatch " baing the favorite mode of death, stringent laws, sgalnst suioide are now m force. It is no ■mall marvel that this nation, with a lorger history than any European nation, has within thirty ytart gone through a tot a revolution of thought, habit, education, 1 government;, and religion The eettltd habits and policy of oenturles have been thorougly changed. In thia sense Scripture has been fulfilled, and a nation has bee • " born m a day."—" The Welcome."