The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-02 00:00:00

SWITZERLAND.

The Suisse of Berne says :—" The federal mili-
tary department has addressed to the government
of the cantons a circular in which it enjoins the
municipal authorities to send immediately to the
commanders of divisions a return of the state of the
buildings, the condition of the populations, &c., of
their communes, together with information respect-
ing all the edifices which can serve for the estab-
lishment of guard-houses, workshops, hospitals,
and stables. The communes, moreover, are re-
quested to make known the number of horses they
possess. If war be declared, the general-in-chief
and the commanders of divisions will have the right
to take from private persons all the horses they
may require.
A letter from Frankfort of the 28th Dec., in the
Prosse of Brussels, says :

It is positive that Prussia has signified an ultimatum
to Switzerland, according to which, if by the 2.1 Jan.
the prisoners of Neuchatel are not released without
trial, the Cabinet of Berlin will not receive any further
proposition for an arrangement, but will trust the decision
to the fate of arms, and exact from Switzerland the pay-
ment of the expenses of the war from the day when the
definitive order of the mobilisation shall have been given.
The Band of the 28th ult. says :—" We are
assured that in all the communes of the Black Forest
gigantic petitions have been got up, intended to
be sent to Carlsruhe, praying earnestly that the
government would prevent the passage of the Prus-
sian troops through the territory of Baden."
A Munich letter, in the Swabian Mercury, states
that, in case the Prussian troops should march on
the Swiss frontier, a Bavarian corps, composed of
two regiments of infantry, a regiment of chasseurs,
another of cavalry, and a third of artillery, will be
formed on the southern frontier of Bavaria.

"According to rumours in circulation here (says
the Universal Gazette of Leipsic), in the event of
war breaking out between Prussia and Switzerland,
Austria intends to enter the latter country, and
occupy the Tessin. Another report speaks of an
alliance being on the point of being concluded be-
tween Switzerland and Sardinia."

We have already given the address of the Presi-
dent of the Swiss Federal Council at the opening
of the extraordinary session of the Federal As-
sembly. On the same occasion, in the Council of
States, M. Dubs, President, spoke thus :

" Gentlemen,—The Federal Assembly, convoked ex-
traordinarly by the Federal Council, will have to enter
into grave discussions. Our country, the most peace-
able in Europe, is menaced with war by a foreign power.
Ought we to elude this war or accept it ? Such
is the difficult question which the councils of the
nation will have to decide. I believe that I
express your sentiments and those of the Swiss
people in saying that Switzerland desires peace
with all her heart, if it be compatible with
honour, for Switzerland bas neither an obstinate and
exaggerated opinion of her rights, nor a sentiment of
vengeance against the unhappy prisoners. But if peace
be not compatible with honour, Switzerland would a
thousand times prefer war, with all the evils it carries
with it, to a peace which would be a stain on the honour
and independence of the country. It is with that spirit
that we shall commence our deliberations—one hand ex-
tended to accept peace, and the other ready to suppt.rt
war. May the God of our father, who has hitherto so
marvellously conducted Switzerland through dangers, be
also with us in these circumstance ! I now declare the
extraordinary session of the Council of State to be
opened."