The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-23 00:00:00

FRANCE AND S IVITZETLAND.

Note of the Frenclit Ambassador in Switzerland to
the President of the Confederation on the pro-
ceedings which took place on Sept. 27, 1800, in
the railway station. at Sion respecting the French
flag :

Berne, Oct. 9, ISGO.
M. le President,—The Emperor's Government has been
informed of the regrettable proceedings which took place at
the opening of the railway at Sion on Sept. 27.
This fresh insult to the French flag makes it impera-
tively necessary that the Federal Council should take steps
to show that it highly disapproves of the hostile sentiments
which a portion of the population, misguided by unjust
provocations, manifested towards France. I have there-
fore to demand of your Excellency that the authors of that
reprehensible manifestation be immediately discovered and
punished.

Your Excellency, I hope, will readily comprehend how
desirable it is that the good relations which it is necessary to
maintain between the two countries should not suffer a
lamentable interruption through any fresh delay in afford-
ing us due and proper satisfaction.—Receive,
TURGOT, Ambassador of France.
Answer of the Federal Council to the note of the
French Ambassador in Switzerland on the pro-
ceedings which took place in the railway station
at Sion :

• Berne, Nov. 7.
The Swiss Federal Council has had the honour to receive
the note of his Excellency the French Ambassador, dated
Oct. 9, complaining of the fresh insult offered to the French
flag at Sion.

His Excellency is of opinion that this insult makes it im-
peratively necessary that the Federal Council should take
measures to show that it highly disapproves of the hostile
sentiments which a portion of the population, misguided by
unjust provocations, manifested towards France, and he de-
mands its immediate and decided interference for the dis-
covery and punishment of the authors of this reprehensible
manifestation, adding that if the satisfaction which is
justly due to France should be further delayed, this must
lamentably interrupt the good relations which it is neces-
sary to maintain between two countries.

The Federal Council as early as September 30 received
from the mouth of the president of the Council of the Cat-
ton of the Vallais information of the proceedings that took
place in the railway station at Sion on the 27th of that
month, and at the same time it received an assurance that
steps would be immediately taken in accordance with the
laws of the canton against the authors of this in all respects
lamentable manifestation.

As early as October 5, the Council of the Vallais issued
a proclamation to the people declaring its entire disappro-
val of such acts committed by individuals, and forbidding
such acts in future. The Council has, moreover, convicted
the offenders before the proper tribunals, in %o far as they
acted against the law and the authorities charged with its
execution. In so doing the said government believed that
it took the proper measures in a case to which no interna-
tional character can ba attributed, and in which the railway
company had made no complaint. This company, which
displayed the colours at Sion, can only be regarded as a
Swiss company. Their rights are based on a Swiss conces-
sion; they work to this day exclusively on our territory;
they stand under the protection of our laws; and accordingly
they have to appeal to Swiss tribunals if they imagine
themselves injured in their rights or property.
The Federal Council, which regards the matter in the
same light as the government of the Vallais, considers,
therefore, that the Sion affair has through the measures
adopted by that government received a just, simple, and
conclusive settlement. If, as the aforesaid despatch of the
French Ambassador shows, the French Government is of a
oontrary opinion, that despatch shows also that only erro-
neous and exaggerated reports could have called it into
existence. Only in this way can the Federal Council ex-
plain the matter to its own satisfaction, especially as it re-
sults from the information of wholly impartial and trust-
worthy persons who were present at the incident, that only
one tricoloured flag was taken away from the train, that that
was immediately afterwards replaced, and moreover that
this flag bore the Italian and not the French colours. This
circumstance is confirmed by trustworthy witnesses, so
the complaint of the Marquis Turgot falls to the ground of
itself.

But even granting that it was a flag with the French na-
tional colours that was taken from the locomotive, the Fe-
deral Council would not see in that a case calling for diplo-
matic intervention. Ihe Federal Council cannot consider
foreign flags hoisted on Swiss territory by individuals,
societies, or companies, without official character or federal
authority, as anything but ornaments, chosen to serve that
purpose by the persons who display them, having the same
rights as any other private property, but to which they can-
not attribute anything of a national character, and which
they cannot look upon as in any way representative of the
nation whose colours they bear.

If we look for the principal cause of the event of the 27th
Sept., we find it undoubtedly in the acts, of the railway com-
pany itself, which, instead of obeying the official request
which the government of the Vallais sent it by a special
messenger, to abstain from ornamenting the train with any-
thing that could give occasion or pretext to disagreeable
demonstrations, first debated whether it should obey this
request or not, and then concluded not to obey it, thus
offering a lamentable provocation.

The Federal Council sincerely regrets the excitement of
men's minds which has been manifested by a part of the
population on the frontiers of the two countries, as well as
the deeds to which it has given rise in both sides. Switzer-
land, however, has no occasion to reproach herself with
anything that may have brought about such a state of
things, and no one wishes more than the Federal Council a
return to the former friendly relations. But to this end it
is more than ever necessary that people should on both
sides abstain from everything that may provoke each other,
and that both sides should avoid attaching importance to
isolated manifestations which are only the work of a few
individuals, and which are disapproved of by the autho-
rities of the country and the vast majority of the
inhabitants.

The Federal Council, in giving these explanations to the
French charge-d'affaires, takes the opportunity of assuring
Count do Massignac of its perfect consideration.
Is the name of the Swiss Federal Council,
FREY HEROSEE, President of the Council.
ScuiEss, Chancellor of the Council.