Masahisa Matsuda

A politician of the Meiji and Taisho eras. Born on April 12, 1842, as the second son of Yokoo Tadashichi, a samurai of the Saga domain, he inherited the Matsuda family line of samurai of the same domain. He studied at the domain school, and in 1868 (Meiji 1) he was ordered by the Ministry of the Army to study politics and law in France. After returning to Japan, he served in court and became a prosecutor, but resigned in 1877. In 1881 he became editor of the Toyo Jiyu Shimbun, and in 1882 he participated in the founding of the Kyushu Progressive Party, contributing to the development of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement. He was elected to the House of Representatives from Saga Prefecture in 1890, and thereafter played an important role in politics, becoming Minister of Finance in the first cabinet of Okuma Shigenobu in 1898. In 1900 (Meiji 33), he became a member of the General Affairs Committee of the Rikken Seiyukai Party, Minister of Education in the 4th Ito Hirobumi Cabinet, Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1904 to 1906, Minister of Justice in the 1st Saionji Kinmochi Cabinet in 1906, and subsequently Minister of Finance as well. In 1911, he became Minister of Justice in the 2nd Saionji Cabinet, and in 1913 (Taisho 2), he became Minister of Justice in the 1st Yamamoto Gonbei Cabinet. He died of illness on March 4, 1914. He was awarded the rank of Shonii (Second Rank) and the Order of the First Class.

[Yasushi Goto]

"Masahisa Matsuda by Tamon Sasagawa (1938, Emurakai)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治・大正時代の政治家。弘化(こうか)2年4月12日佐賀藩士横尾只七(よこおただしち)の次男に生まれ、同藩士松田家を継ぐ。藩校に学び、1868年（明治1）陸軍省命でフランスに留学し政治、法学を学び、帰国後裁判所に出仕し検事となったが1877年辞職。1881年『東洋自由新聞』の編集者となり、1882年九州改進党の創立に参画して自由民権運動の発展に貢献。1890年佐賀県から衆議院議員に当選以来政界に重きをなし、1898年第一次大隈重信(おおくましげのぶ)内閣の蔵相となる。1900年（明治33）立憲政友会の総務委員となり、第四次伊藤博文(ひろぶみ)内閣の文相、1904年から1906年まで衆議院議長、1906年第一次西園寺公望(さいおんじきんもち)内閣の司法相となり、ついで蔵相兼任、1911年第二次西園寺内閣の司法相、1913年（大正2）第一次山本権兵衛(ごんべえ)内閣の司法相となる。大正3年3月4日病没。男爵。正二位勲一等を授けられる。

［後藤　靖］

『笹川多門著『松田正久』（1938・江村会）』

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