Star.
London, England, 1814-03-16 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF SWITZERLAND.

The knot has been cut at Lucerne, which it was
.impossible to untie. It is already known, that the
Grand Council rejected, on the 12th of February, the
propositions which were made at Zurich for the esta-
blishment of peace between the town and the coun-
try, and that the Lesser Council was charged, if it
should think fit, to propose some changes in the con-
stitution, and to submit its propositions to the consi-
deration of the Greater Council. Consevently, the
Lesser Council adopted measures to learn the senti-
ments of the different districts of the Canton, relative
to the constitution. On the 13th the old Government,
and on the 14th the citizens of Lucerne, adopted the
propositions of Zurich, and sent information of their
proceeding to the Lesser Cotincil.
The Lesser Council was occupied during the vio-
lent debates of the 15th and 16th, in taking measures
which the expectation of an approaching crisis dic-
tated ; its decree was passed, which ordered, in sub-
stance, as follows :

All those who manifest publicly and ardently
their ideas upon the constitution, and other political
objects, and thereby give rise t• fermentation and
troubles, as well as those who endeavour to make
known their desires and projects for the amelioration
of the constitution of the Canton, by any other means
than those declared to be legal, shall be considered as
disturbers of the public peace, ant punished as such."
Transactions then took place, which determined
the Avoyer Ruuirnann to quit the council, and re-
sign ihs ofEce. The Government afterwards sent to

the Commanding-Officers of the district, upon whose
fidelity they trusted, an order to assemble on the next
day the four detachments of the Canton, and the re-
serve, at a short distance from the town, and to wait
there for further orders.

The town being thus threatened, saw no other
means of providing for her safety, than by a speedy
adoption of the proceedings of the Lesser Council.
The Committees previously appoinved by the Gld
government, and those of the citizens then assembled,
with the Landamman Ituttintan for their President,
and declared themselves the Committee of the Go-
vernment. Twenty-four resolute armed men took pt s.
session of the arsenal, of the ports, of the town, and
of the house belonging to Government, where tlx
Lesser Council wsis assembled--they experietictt-',,
wherever they went, little or no resistance. All was. ;
'over in the course of an hoar, ou the 16th, at fir
o'clock in the evening. The next morning, tbes
went to meet the troops who were advancing towards
the town, and informed them of what had passed..
The members of the Lesser Council, who had been
kept in attendance, made, of their own accord, a de.
claration, which expressed their desire that the aimed 1
detachments which shad been summoned should re.
turn tranquilly to their homes.

The Committee of the Government, on their part,
announced, the same day, by a Prodanation, that
it was their intention to carly into effect the propc-
sals for reconciliation, according to which the repre-
sentation of the Canton was regulated, so that the
town of Lucerne should send SO mcm`lers, the coun-
try 41. The town of Sampach S, Surace 3,
sail:2, and Munster, one member.

Ou the 18th the Committee proposed thirty men.
bers of the town, and thirty of the country, fer the
new Greater Council, and then silty members we.
unanimously accepted by the cit;zens.
On the ilst, the sixty members are to appoint
other twenty members for the town, and an equal
number for the country, and are to determine on the
future mode of eleciion.TheGreater Council will also
choose the members for the Less Council and the
avoyers, and thus the organization of the new govan-
ment will be complete. The other Cantons have
been informed of this change of government. As soon
as the country of the Nidwald, part of the Canton of
Underwald, near Lucerne, heard the news, it sent to
Lucerne the Landammans Zrlzer and Kaiser ; the
Canton of Zurich has sent the Counsellor of State
Usteri.

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