The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-12-04
NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
IS ig way: II, within the ninetY

days& 6he acts are on probation, a
sVYK Az representative body of cit
izeffs-so demand, a popular vote must
be ordered and the acceptance or reiec-
ton of measure decided by that All
laws mot of an urgent nature" are pub
lished Immediately after their passage,
{ number of copies being sent to the
government of each canton, and for
ninety days submitted to an inspection.
The question as to whether bill is
urgent or not is decided by the federal
legislature itself, and, if it is, the fed
eral council is ordered to put the same
in force at once. But If it is an ordi-
nary law, and during the period of
probation 80, 600 citizens petition for a
popular vote, the bill must be sub
mitted to that ordeal. The request for
referendum takes the form of a writ
ten petition addressed to the federal
council, the petitioners signing the
paper with their own hands, and prov
ing their right to vote before the proper
officials. On receiving the requisite
number of signatures the federal coun-
Gil orders q general vote, notifies the
various cantonal or state governments
and provides for general publication
of the bill or resolution. The date of
the vote cannot be less than four weeks
after the announcement, and must take
place on the same day for the whole
confederation If q majority of the
whole votes cast in the required num-
Der of cantons are in favor of the
law, it is accepted, and the federal
council orders it to be placed on the
statute book A contrary vote puts a
stop to its execution. In case no petit
ton is submitted the federal council
announces this fact at the expiration of
the ninety days and the bill becomes
law. 1t might be feared that this in
stitution, involving the direct interven-
ton Of the people in legislation. would
be abused, but such does not appear to
be the case in Switzerland Less than
twenty per cent of the laws coming
under the rule have to be submitted to
popular vote. It can scarcely be ac-
cepted, however, that similar satis-
factory results would obtain here If the
referendum were established, the char
acteristics of the people being SO es-
sentially different The Swiss con-
federation has, it is true, many points
of similarity with the United States,
but there are also wide Emergencies.
There are in Switzerland TWENTY-FIVE
states, differing widely in area and
population. Three of these are divided
into half-cantons. In extent these states
vary from ARIA square miles for the
largest and down to IA square miles for
the smallest. and in population from
539, 900 to $4,000. The total population
is about 100000. About seventy-one
per cent of the population speak Ger
man, twenty-one per cent French and
five .sS. per cent Italian, and
the ~ constitution provides ] that
laws shall be printed in all
OF these languages. While, unlike the
United States in this respect there is q
decided point of likeness in the organic
law declaring that 'sthe cantons are
sovereign in SO far as their sovereignty
Is not limited by the federal constitu-
ton, and its subjects exercise all rights
which are not delegated to the federal
power" The referendum is also made
to apply to revisions of the constitu-
ton. A revision of the federal organic
law is made by the assembly when
both houses agree that such procedure
Is necessary or when so, 600 voters de-
mand it The work of revision takes
place not through any special agency
invoked for the occasion, but according
to the usual process of making law.
The document as finally passed by
both houses must be submitted to the
popular vote. If it receives the APP
proval of majority of all the people,
and at the same time majority. OF all
the cantons, the revision becomes law
and goes into effect as soon as pro-
mulgated by the federal council. The
Importance of this institution Of the
referendum upon legislation can thus
be seen, and its working appears to be
entirely satisfactory. A study of its
operation proves interesting when com
pared with the constitution here, and
analogous constitutions st Paul Dis
patch.