The representative., 1901-11-28
The REFERENDUM N
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III

III.
The Swiss Federal Government
BY the Federal Constitutions the Swiss
National Government has only power
to legislate on certain number Of
subjects, and an powers not expressly
conferred upon the Federal Govern
ment are vested IN the states
The Federal Government consists
OF Legislature, an, Execntivc, and a
judiciary The Federal Legislature or
Federal Assembly, as It is called, is
composed OF two houses, the National
Council and the Council Of States. The
National Council, CONSISTING of I1
members, is elected for term OF three
years by universal suffrage The Coun-
Cd OF States corresponds to the Ameri-
can Senate, and is the faal representa-
tive OF the old Diet Of Ambassadors.
Each state sends two members to the
Council, and if the canton be subdi-
vided, each half canton sends one The
Council OF States thus numbers forty
four members
The Federal Assembly meets twice
a year, in June and December, for about
four weeks; and there is usually an
extra session in March, which is even
shorter still. The debates are not Off
cially reported, and only meagre ac-
counts Of them appear in the papers.
The whole Of the proceedings are very
quiet, business-like, and rather infor-
NAL. The two houses are exactly equal
as to powers. Grave conflicts
between the houses never occur. If one
chamber continues to energetically op-
pose a project adopted by the other,
the latter submits with a good grace.
"The Executive consists of a Federal
Council of seven members, who are
elected for the three years by each new
Federal Assembly as soon as it meets.
Each Councillor presides over sepa-
rate department, and for the sake of
convenience he usually retains the
same one continuously, though the re-
allotment is supposed to be made every
year. One of the seven Councillors is
elected each year to the supreme Office
of President of the Federal Council,
and is officially recognized as 'Presi-
dent of the Swiss Confederation An
other Councillor is elected at the same
time to the Office OF Vice President
Neither the President or the Vice Pres
ident may hold Office for more than one
year, and the custom is for the Vice
President to be elected President, so
that the Office really passes in rotation
through the Council. The President
receives salary Of f54o year, the
other Councillors f48o, and none of
them are allowed to pursue any other
profession or business while in Office.
The President has. no special powers.
He is merely the annual chairman of
the committee and titular head of the
state, and has charge of any one of the
seven departments. His position is very
inferior to that OF any individual head
of any known executive. Apart from
his colleagues he has no power, nor
has he any power over them. He is,
however, one of body of seven that
count for a great deal. The Council
has not any direct executive functions,
except in the department of foreign
affairs, the customs, postal and tele-
graph services, the polytechnic school,
the arsenal, and the alcohol monopoly.
1t acts by way of inspection and super
vision.
THE Executive have important leg
islative as we'll as administrative func-
tons. The Federal Council as body
have the right of initiating legislation.
They also report in practice on all pro-
posals brought forward in the chambers
before these become the subject of Sc
rious debate. It is also very common
for the Chambers to pass resolution,
called 'postulat,' requesting the Coun-
Gil to prepare bill on some subject.
Thus the Federal Council can intro
duce, draft, and report on legislation;
but the President has no vote, no power
Of suspending or annulling laws.
1--WE have to consider its two unique
and distinguishing marks-on the one
hand the absence Of the party system,
and on the other the direct Intervention
of the people in the work of legislation
by the referendum and the initiative.
"The Federal Council represents no
one body in the Federal Assembly. It
is usually composed Of members of the
left and centre groups-that is to say,
OF Radicals and Liberal Conservatives
but in 1891 a member Of the extreme
right, DR.. Zemp, the clerical representa-
tive of Lucerne, was elected Councillor,
and in 1894 was promoted by three
to-one vote of 4 dominantly Radical
Assembly to the Office Of President.
ut would seem impossible that an
Executive made up Of persons Of differ
ent political views, and unconnected by
any ties of party loyalty, should consti-