80 TRANSACTIONS OF KOYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



31st January 1873, for the administration of the forests, which 

 took the place of the former law passed in 1835, and which forms 

 the basis of the present system of forest regulation in Switzerland. 



LAWS PASSED BY THE FEDERAL COUNCIL, AND ADMINISTERED BY 

 THE CANTONS AND COMMUNES. 



Here, with the indulgence of our readers, a little digression 

 will be necessary, to form a correct idea of the working of the 

 laws of the Swiss Goverinnent, which goes under the genei'al 

 name of " communal." And this will perhajis be considered more 

 pardonable if we reflect that it is this system of communal 

 government which some of our politicians hold out as a model 

 for our imitation, and as the one most likely to satisfy the wishes 

 of those who shortly formulate their demands under the cry for 

 local government. 



The Swiss Confederation is divided into 22 Cantons, and these 

 again, severally, into numerous Communes, each of which is 

 entrusted, so far as is possible, with the entire management of its 

 local concerns. Some laws, — and the Forest Law of 1873, which 

 we are considering, is one of them, — are called Federal Laws, and 

 are of general application throughout Switzerland. But this 

 application, within the broad lines laid down by the Federal 

 Council, is left to the discretion of the Cantonal Governments, 

 who again delegate their powers, but still retaining the power of 

 supervision and confirmation to the Communes, or what we call 

 the Municipalities. 



OF THE FOREST SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION. 



For the purposes of Forest Administi'ation, the Cantonal 

 Government of Vaud divided their country into six circles, each 

 of them placed under a Forest Lispector. Within these circles 

 flourished side by side — 



a. State forests wholly managed by the State officials. 



h. Communal forests managed by the communes, but under the 

 inspection and with the advice of the local State officials. 



c. Private forests, the property of px-ivate individuals, where 

 State interference was but rarely called into play, except 

 in the extreme case of wasteful management, which caused 

 damage, not only to the property itself, but to those imme- 

 diately surrounding it. 



