Although he took part in preparations for the 1900 formation of ITO's Rikken Seiyukai, he did not join the party; while he stayed outside the party, he often appeared in the political scene by way of his political connections, and proclaimed himself to be 'guardian of the Constitution' as he got involved in various maneuvers for the bureaucratic power; and he remained a powerful figure in the Privy Council and continued to be influential in the political world until the early Showa era.
1900年（明治33年）伊藤の立憲政友会結成に際してその準備過程には参加しながら入党せず、政党外部に身を置きつつ気脈を通じてしばしば政界の表面に登場し、「憲法の番人」を自任して官僚勢力のために種々の画策を講じ、枢密院の重鎮として昭和初期まで政界に影響力を保った。