SWISSERLAND

SWISSERLAND, or SWITZERLAND. This league of independent states, whose constitutions, both local and general, had been overturned in the course of the French Revolution, and a part of whose territory had been added to France, has been reinstated by the Congress of Vienna in its former independence, and has received additions of territory. This settlement has led to new divisions, and the Swiss Confederacy at present consists of twenty-two cantons, whose names, extent, population, and capitals, are as follow:

The only other towns whose population exceeds 3000 inhabitants are in the canton of Zurich; Hor- gen, with 3700; Wädenschwy, 3460; Stäfa, 3360; and Wald, 3200; in the canton of Vaud, Vevay, with 3780; and in the canton of Geneva, Carouge, with 3200 souls.

Each of the cantons has its own system of govern- ment and laws; but they all form a general commu- nity, by means of representatives chosen from each of them, who meet to regulate the external relations of the union, and to provide the means, both in troops and money, for the general defence.

The delegates from the different cantons assemble yearly in July, or more frequently, on the requisition of any five of them. Treaties of peace, or declara- tions of war, require the assent of three-fourths of the votes. All other matters are determined by majori- ty. The place of meeting is in rotation, Zurich, Berne, and Lucerne, each for two years, where the supreme court is held, and the Chancellor and State- Secretary hold their offices.

Although every man capable of bearing arms is a soldier, and occasionally trained and exercised, yet a more disposable force is arranged, to which each of the cantons must furnish their proportion, at the rate of two men out of every hundred of the appro- priate age. These form an army, when required, as follows:

The militia, mustered under the direction of each individual canton, amount together to 67,516 men, besides which is the landwehr, or levy en masse, which comprehends the whole of the male popula- tion. In order that the military spirit of the Swiss may not become dormant, the cantons have per- mitted great numbers of their young men to enter into the service of foreign states. In the year 1816 the numbers so engaged were estimated to be about 30,000; of whom 12,370 were in France; 10,000 in the Netherlands; 430 in Prussia; and the others in Spain and Sardinia. The expences of the general government are defrayed by contributions from each canton, according to their estimated wealth, which, as well as the military contingent, is adjusted to existing circumstances at the termination of every period of twenty years. The revenues, expences, and debts of the several cantons, are generally kept with much privacy, and the taxes are various, but in general very light.

The cantons of Lucerne, Uri, Schwitz, Unterwal- den, Zug, Fryburg, Solothurn, Tessino, and a part of Appenzell, adhere to the Roman Catholic church. The reformed Protestant church is established in

Switzerland
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Taxation.

Zurich, Berne, Basle, Schaffhausen, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Geneva, and a part of Appenzell. Both religions are established in Glarus, Thurgau, Aargau, St Gall, and the Grey League, but in them the majority of the people are Protestants. The number of the Reformed or Calvinists are estimated to be 1,046,000; of the Catholics 682,000; and in the remainder are comprised a few Lutherans, Anabaptists, and Jews.

Productions
and Trade.

As Switzerland does not grow sufficient corn for its own subsistence, though its harvests are eked out by the recent extension of the culture of potatoes, that necessary article is supplied to it from the neighbouring states; to which it makes returns in the products of its soil, wine, live cattle, butter, and cheese. Besides these it sells some manufactures, the principal of which are various cotton goods. These are chiefly produced in Zurich, St Gall, Berne, and Appenzell, where extensive machinery is constructed both for spinning and weaving. Some of the goods produced in Switzerland are the most suc-

cessful in rivalling the fabrics of Lancashire and Glasgow at the great fairs of Frankfort and Leipsic. In the cantons of Thurgau and St Gall there are many manufactures both of fine and coarse linen. Silk goods of various descriptions are made in Basle, in Schaffhausen, and Lucerne, but especially in Tessino, where the raw material is produced; but this description of productions has of late suffered a great declension. Watchmaking gives employment to more than 4000 workmen in Geneva, and to as many in Neuchâtel and other places. The number of watches annually sent from Switzerland is estimated to be about 250,000. These means of subsistence and employment are found insufficient to check the progress of poverty, which is making rapid strides, and which has produced extensive emigrations to the United States of America, to Canada, and to Brazil.

See Simond's Switzerland; Körner kürze Erdbeschreibung der Schweiz; Ehrmann neuste Kunde der Schweiz und Italien; Uteri handbuch des Schweiz Staatsrechts. (w. w.)