明治初年の政情と地方支配 : 「民蔵分離」問題前後

抄録

Problems of local control by the central government in the early stage of the Meiji Period still remain unclear. This paper discusses a period from the establishment of the Meiji government to the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures to elucidate details of local government and relations between problems of local rule and the political process of the new government. Firstly, this paper specifically covers matters which have been rarely discussed, such as functions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (民部官) and the role of the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Saneomi Hirosawa (広沢真臣), and describes how government agencies for local rule were set up in the initial stage of the Meiji Period, and other particular aspects of the agencies. The ministry's measures for ruling prefectures derived from an idea of Saneomi Hirosawa, who strove to establish a prefectural government in Kyoto. In explaining the character of these measures, this paper makes it clear that the measures included enlightened spects while promoting centralized rule. As examples, the ministry's establishment of prefectural assemblies and its administrative inspectors sent to local governments are cited. Secondly, this paper describes difficulties in local rule by the new government under pressure from Europe and the United States and intra-government conflicts over local rule. It is pointed out that Saneomi Hirosawa's idea played an important role in the separation, especially the separation of the Home Affairs Ministry from the Finance Ministry in July 1870. Furthermore, it is explain that behind separation there were intra-governmental conflicts over local rule and criticism by local administrators against the two ministries. Thirdly, this paper touches upon the role that problems of local rule played in the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures in 1871, and other reforms before and after that. It explains that Toshimichi Okubo (大久保利通), who took the initiative in the 1871 reforms, intended to curb the considerable influence of the Finance Ministry for a stable Government while strengthening the authority of the Imperial Court. The basic political course of the new Meiji government was centralization under financial pressure. Based on the analysis in this paper, however, I believe the government's internal confusion, caused by problems of local rule and subsequent reforms of government agencies, characterize the new Meiji regime during its process of establishment.