GENERAL HISTORY. 



[14-3 



unanimous resolution, that in 

 future all communications and 

 petitions addressed to it should 

 be in German. The immediate 

 cause of this determination was 

 the presenting to them a recla- 

 mation in French, from JM. La- 

 tour Auvergne, on the subject of 

 the Duchy of Bouillon. 



Switzerland. At a sitting of the 

 general Diet of the confederation, 

 on July 1.5th, heavy complaints 

 were made of the ruin brought 

 upon the Swiss manufactures by 

 the severity of the French go- 

 vernment ; which had imposed 

 duties upon their entrance into 

 France amounting to a prohibi- 

 tion, and had executed its ordi- 

 nances with the utmost rigour. 

 This treatment was considered as 

 particularly hard, as practised to- 

 wards a nation devoted to France, 

 and which lately, in its capitula- 

 tions respecting troops for its 

 service, had given unequivocal 

 proofs of its attachment to the 

 House of Bourbon. After several 

 discussions on the subject, the 

 whole was referred to the exa- 

 mination of a conmiittee. 



On the following day a brief 

 from the Pope was read before 

 the Diet, addressed to the go- 

 vernments of Switzerland, in 

 which his Holiness claimed their 

 intervention for the re-establish- 

 ment of the Abbey of St. Gall. 

 The deputies of that canton, and 

 those of Lucerne, Basle, Appen- 

 zel, Zurich, and Geneva, spoke 

 witli great energy against this 

 pretension, as being contrary to 

 that act of the congress which 

 iissures an Indemnity and honour- 

 able rank in life to the late Abbot 

 of St. Gall, and to the constitu- 

 tion of the canton, guaranteed by 



the confederation. Eleven depu- 

 ties rejected the Pope's demand j 

 nine \oted for the referendum ; 

 and two deputies reserved their 

 votes ; so that the decision was 

 temporaiily adjourned. Tiie re- 

 sult is of imiiortancc, as afi'ording 

 a test of the influence of the Ro- 

 man pontiff in the Catholic part 

 of Switzerland. 



The multifarious local consti- 

 tutions in the Helvetic confe- 

 dei'acy have offered an example 

 of j)olitical contrivance which in 

 modern times is probably unique. 

 It is thus stated in a communi- 

 cation from Lausanne. 



The Government of Friburg 

 has published a collection of the 

 organic laws of its Constitution in 

 German and Frencli. The most 

 important part of its contents is 

 that Avhich relates to the Tiibunal 

 of Censorship. This tribunal is 

 composed of seven members, who 

 have the singular title of Secrets. 

 They must be of different fami- 

 lies, and each must have com- 

 ])leted 40 years of age. This tri- 

 bunal is to assemble us often as 

 business may require, but regu- 

 larly each year o)i the anniver- 

 sary of tlie Battle of Morat. 'J'he 

 duties of tlie Secrets are performed 

 giatuitously. Their jjersons are 

 inviolable, and those who offend 

 against them are to be prosecuted 

 criminally as disturljers of the 

 public peace. Tlieir functions 

 embrace two piincipal objects — 

 the maintenance of tlic laws, and 

 the superintendence of morals. 

 Wi*^h respect to the tirst, tlie tri- 

 bunal watches the administration 

 of the Government. It takes 

 care tliat the oflicers who com- 

 jiose the Government, do not 

 overstep the bounds f)f their au- 



thorityj 



