466 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



independent state. The memory of its grander 

 days is kept alive by an interesting ceremony 

 which takes place annually. On a certain 

 Sunday in May the people meet together 

 under the presidency of the chief magistrate 

 (who is glorious on this occasion by reason of 

 being girt with the sword of state), elect the 

 various administrative functionaries, and dis- 

 cuss generally the affairs of the commune. 



The Swiss have always been proud of 

 their independence, and have clung tenaciously 

 to their liberty. In this they were aided by 

 the conformation of their country, which 

 offers a natural barrier to invasion. When 

 first forming part of the Holy Roman Empire, 

 the forest cantons revolted against the Emperor 

 Albert in 1313. From motives of prudence 

 subsequent sovereigns favoured their spirit of 

 independence. It was not until their defeat 

 of the forces of Charles the Bold in 1477 

 that the Swiss attained to a full conscious- 

 ness of national existence. The Emperor 

 Maximilian made a final effort to reduce their 

 growing pride, but after a protracted struggle 

 he was forced in 1500 to recognise their 

 practical independence by treaty, although it 

 was not until the Peace of Westphalia in 16-18 

 that the Swiss Confederation was recognised 

 by the world at large as a sovereign inde- 

 pendent state. That the Swiss are still pre- 

 pared to guard and, if necessary, fight for their 

 freedom is shown by the attention paid to 

 military training, which is obligatory on every 

 male subject of the State. The last occasion 

 on which the Swiss were nearly being called 

 upon to take up arms was in 1857, when a war with Prussia seemed by no means 

 improbable. 



By the Treaty of Vienna the Prussian Crown retained certain rights of sovereignty over 

 the canton of Neuchatel, and appointed its governor, although in all other respects the people of 

 Neuchatel enjoyed the full liberty of Swiss citizenship. This anomaly gave rise to a consider- 

 able amount of friction, which culminated in a threat on the part of the King of Prussia of a 

 military occupation of the canton. This the Swiss Confederation would have certainly resisted. 

 The matter was, however, ultimately settled without recourse to arms. 



The legislative power of the Confederation is vested in a Federal Assembly, which consists 

 of two chambers a National Council of 147 members, and a Council of States of forty-four 

 members. The executive power is in the hands of a Federal Council composed of seven 

 members. This body, which is elected by the Federal Assembly, is presided over by the 

 President of the Confederation, who is the head of the State for the time being, and holds 

 office for a year only. Some idea of the modest scale on which the Swiss pay their 

 national servants may be gained from the fact that the highest salary, that of the President, 

 is only 540. 



In Switzerland the adherents of the Roman Catholic Church are estimated at 40 per 



Photo by J. S. Compton} 



AN ITALIAN MONK. 



[London. 



