Walter Wallace McLaren 
Political History of Japan During the Meiji Era, 1867-1912 [PDF ebook] 

First Published in 1966. In this book, the author has endeavours to supply the information which is essential to the formation of accurate judgments as to the meaning of Japanese policy by reviewing her modern political history, describing her system of government, and explaining her national ambitions. Mc Laren presents a careful survey of the evolution of the existing political institutions of Japan and an enumeration of the powers exercised by the various authorities and the bureaucracy. The author then follows the history of the Japanese Diet from its establishment in 1890 until the beginning of 1913 – assessing the political parties, their internal dissensions as well as their struggles with the various oligarchic Cabinets.