The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-02-25 00:00:00

THEATRE-ROYAL, COVEAT-GARDEN.

TO-MORROW EVENING will be performed the Comic
Opera of
"THE CABINET.

To wbol will b. add.:d,
Tie 'REVIEW; or, The WAGS OF WINDSOR;
On Monday;the Tragedy of Hamlet—llamiet, by a Young
Gentleman, being his sixth Appearance. To winch will be
added (for the last time this season) Harlequin's Kitten.
Next Taiesday, a new Comedy will be produced, called
John Eull ; ur, An Englishman's Fire-Side.

THE. BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
FRIDAY, rE a. 25.

Last night we received Paris Papers to the 21st
inclusive. A long supplement to the Moniteur of
that date contains the Aa of Mediation of the Ft RST
CoNsul., delivered to the two Committees of the
Helvetic Consulta. This long-expeifted document
proves to be a plan of a new Constitution for Swit- '
zerland. The whole country is made to consist of
nineteen Cantons, which are divided into three
classes; Ist, the Democratic Cantons, consi,ting of
Uri, Schmitz, Unterwalden, Zug, Glaris, Ap-
penzel, and the Grisons, all of which are to be re-
instated in their former limits, except Uri, a valley
of which will be linked to the Canton of Tessin
the Cantons formerly Aristocratic ; these are
to resume their old constitutions. .The titles of their
Chief Magistrates are changed, and also the num-
bers of the Members of the several Councils. The
Members of the Grand Council are for life, and
nominate the Petit Council. The new Cantons of
Argovie, Leman, Thurgovie, Saint Gall, and Tessin,
constitute the third class. In these last, the places are
not for life, and the Grand Council will be nomi-
nated by the Petit Council. The mode of election
will be regulated in them, as also in the old aristo-
cratic Cantons, after a manner suited to a represen-
tative Government. Having detailed the organiza-
tion of each particular Canton, the AR of Media-
tion proceeds to the general dispositions that affect
the whole.—The principal are these.—The Nine-
teen Cantons are federal, and mutually guarantee
their territory, their liberty, their independence,
and their respeaive Constitutions. The contingents
of troops and money, will be furnished by each
Canton proportionally. All privileges, attached to
place, birth, and family, arc abolished. No Can-
ton can form a separate alliance with Foreign
Powers. The Diet shall meet every year in the
six principal cities, in turn—namely, Fribourg,
Berne, Soleure, Basle, Zurich, and Lucerne.
The Cantnn in which it shall meet, shall be called
the Direfling Canton, the ilvoytr or Boirgue-
mestre of which, shall add to his title that
of Landamman of Switzerland.—The Diet is to
consist of a Deputy from each Canton, with full.
powers and instructions, which shall be binding
upon him. The Deputies of the nineteen Cantons
have thirty-five votes. Those of Berne, Zurich,
Vaud, Argovie, St. Gall, and the Grisons, have
each three ; those of Fribourg, Thurgovie, Lu-
cerne, and Tessin, two, and the rest otte.—
The Diet will assemble every year, in the beginning
of June, and will sit only a month. It has power to
conclude treaties of peace and alliance with foreign
Powers ; hut to discharge any one of there executive
functions, the consent of three-fourths of the Can-
tons is necessary. Inorder that this new Constitu-
tion may be put into immediate activity, die Aet of
Mediation proceeds to appoint a provisional Go-
vernment confnrmable therewith, in which Fri-
bourg is named the Directing Canton for the year
1803, and Citizen Louis D'Ar Fay, Landamman
of Switv.erland. It expressly undertakes, selpon
the part of the Fiiisr Co son, that as soon as
its regulations shall be carried into execution,
the French troops shall be withdrawn ; and con-
cludes with an acknowledgment of Helvetia so
constituted as an independent power, and guarantees
it against the disturbers of the system thus esta-
blished, whoever they may be. This consti-
tution is represented as the labour of enlighten-
ed minds, and ardent friends to the happiness
of Switzerland. It certainly displays more mo-
deration and regard for the manners of the people
than we expelled. There is no attempt to wound
the native pride of the country, with an assurance
that it does not contain a single individual worthy
of being ,I...andanunan of Helvetia. It does not af-
fed a total disregard of national prejudices and
feelings, by Wanton innovations and changes;-4n
the contrary, its reforms appear to have been dic-
tated in fairness and impartiality, and do not em-
brace, in the detail, any provision either revolting
or disgusting. Were we then to limit our view to
the simple abstract constitution before us, we might,
perhaps, have just grounds for congratulation.
We might appeal to the Aft of Mediation, as a
• proof of a change in the disposition of the French
Government. Ws might say, that BoK atAar