In 1874, Taneomi SOEJIMA, Taisuke ITAGAKI, Shojiro GOTO and Shinpei ETO who resigned from their post due to the political upheaval in 1873 (the dispute of Seikanron [debate on subjugation of Korea]) submitted a political statement for democratic representatives in their joint names.
1874年（明治7年）、前年のいわゆる明治六年の政変（征韓論の争議）に敗れて下野した副島種臣、板垣退助、後藤象二郎、江藤新平等が連署して、民撰議院設立建白書を左院に提出した。