The sun., 1891-11-15

N.sssUNDAY, NOVEMBER
first tried friendly negotiations. but these fail.
nc. resortcd to coercion. A contest 81 only
eighteen days duration put an end to the Son.
derbund and forced the seeding cantons baok
into the Confederation. The central Govern
rnent. having given such decisive proof OF
strength. the time was considered opportuno
for thorough reformation Of the system.
which was accomplished In the following year.
II Is this Constitution OF 1S4S which. with
some amendments. now constitutes the Fed
eral organic law OF Switzerland. and which
Mr.. Winchester compares In detail With the
system under which we live.
n.
Tho fundamental difference between the
SWISS Constitution OF 1B4S and the Federal
Pact which II supplanted ia thatthe latter was
what tho Germans call Staatenbund. or con-
federation OF sovereign States. whereas tho
formor Is Bundeestaat, or sovereign Stnte
emerging from q confederation. Under the
Federal Pact encli canton was not only per-
fectly Independent In all its internal concerns
but tcvcn retained the right OF separate dealings
with foreign Governments. The central au-
thority had no Legislative. executive. or admin
istrative powors binding upon the several cum
tons: tbore was no Federal army. no public
treasury. no national mint. no common
Judiciary. nor any OF the other ordinary marks
Of collective sovereignty. II the Sonderbund
~ns speedily put down. this was be-
causo q great majority OF the cantons
wore opposed TO it and voluntarily sup
ported the Federal Executive. The change.
In other words. which took place in Switzer-
lind in 1s4s was analogous to that through
which the United States passed when tho Con-
stitution Of 1877 wns substituted for the old
Articles OF Confederation framed In 177a. Tho
n:rns Of tho new Swiss Constitution werethree:
Grsk. to strengthen tho national Govern
mont so far as the supremacy OF tho confoder-
alton could be reconciled with the main
tonance Of q large amount OF cantonal auton-
omy; secondly. to overthrow the oligarchies
established by prescription In many cantons.
and thirdly. to shield the civil power from en-
croachments OF tho Church at Rome. These
purposes were still moro thoroughly carried
ont by the revision OF the Constitution which
took place in 1874. and by which the sphere
md resources OF Federal authority were still
further enlarged. It will be observed. how
ever. that through the operation Of the So
called referendum. or compulsory reference OF
any law " peopio Aoi i0tshoouou'
the Swiss have much more effective safe
guard against Federal interference with tho
rights Of States or individuals than we pos
sess in our Bill Of Rights or In our compli-
Gated and slow-movinG machinery for tho
amendment OF the Federal Constitution.
rIr. g., '.'.: Nv. 's =.
In Switzerland tho Legislative. executive.
and judicial departments are not SO sharply
Differentiated rs they arc N the United States
Tho Legislature is Of much more importance
then tho other two departments combined.
and therefore Mr.. Winchester opens the main
body of his work with m exposition OF It. Tho
Swiss analogue Of our Congress Is the Federal
Assembly. which consists Of two chambers. to
wit. the National Council corresponding to
our House Of Representatives. and the Coun
Gil Of States, corresponding to our Senate.
The former chamber is composed Of ropresen-
tattves OF the Swiss people. chosen In tho ra-
ito Of one member for each 10000 persons. q
fraction OF upward Of 10000 being en-
titled to member. Every canton.
and where cantons are divided. every half
canton sends at least one representative.
no matter what may be It's population. The
elections for the National Council. like those
for our House Of Representatives. are direct
!
Switzerland be formed out Of parts OF different
cantons any more than in this country they
can be formed out Of parts OF different States.
Every male Swiss 20 years OF age. not ex-
cluded from the rights OF citizenship by tho
legislation OF his canton. has right to take
part in Federal elections and is also eligible to
the National Council This last-named body
is chosen for three years. or for one year
longer than our House OF Representatives.
like which. however. 1t Is entirely renewed at
each general election. Members OF the Coun-
ell Of States swiss Senate) or Of the Federal
Council tSwiss Executivel or officials appoint
ed by the latter. cannot at the same time
be members Of tho National Council. From
among its members the National Council
chooses for each session President and Vice
President. or. as We should call them. Speaker
and vice-Speaker. Tho President has tho
casting vote on bills in case of tie. but in
he has the same voting power as any
other memher. The powers. however. OF the
presiding officer Of the National Council are
insignificant compared with those Of the
Speaker OF our House of Representatives. Tho
election Of members is controlled by the can
tonal authorities and cannot be reviewed in
the Federal body. Members OF the National
Council like those OF the House OF Represen-
tatives. are chosen not by cantons or States.
but by districts. that IL to say. by the scr,an
d faTrOndissement. the word arrondisssm ent.
however. having a different meaning from
that 1t bears In France. In tho latter
the term is applied to an electoral dis
trict returning only ono member to the Cham
Der OF Deputies In Switzerland 1t means an
electoral district which may return n number
of members not exceeding Ave to the National
Council. in which case all the members arc
voted for on q general ticket for the district.
Just as with US the Presidential electors al
lottsd to given State are chosen As q
matter of fact therefore. the method OF voting
which In Switzerland is called scutin darTon-
would in France be called scr,..in ds
liste. "a distinction which Mr. Winchester seems
to have overlooked.
4 Federal census for tho apporttonment Of
Is taken every ton years. At
present the National Council consists Of 145
apportioned among forty-nino cleo
toral districts Members receive q cOmpensa-
ton Of about 1886 dny when the National
Council Ia in session and u travelling allow
ancs Of three cents per mile, which they lose II