752 



TENNESSEE. 



dent for the year 1873> P. J. Cere*sole, of the 

 Canton of Vaud. The seven members of the 

 Federal Council act as chiefs of the seven ad- 

 ministrative departments of the republic. 



The area of Switzerland is 15,992 square 

 miles; population in 1860, 2,507,170; in 1870, 

 2,669,147; increase, 6.5 percent. The Prot- 

 estants, in 1860, numbered 1,477,223 (or 58.9 

 per cent, of the entire population) ; in 1870, 

 1,566,347 (58.7 per cent.). The Romen Catho- 

 lics, in 1860, 1,019,807 (40.7 per cent.); in 

 1770, 1,084, 3 69 '(40. 6 per cent.). The other 

 Christian sects, in 1860, 5,881; in 1870, 11,- 

 435; the Jews, in 1860, 4,259 ; in 1870, 6,996. 

 With regard to the nationality of the inhabit- 

 ants, the Germans are a majority in fifteen can- 

 tons, and a plurality in one (Graubundlen) ; 

 the French constitute the majority in five can- 

 tons (Yalais, Fribourg, Neufchatel, Vaud, and 

 Geneva), and the Italians in one (Ticino). The 

 total number of the German population is esti- 

 mated at 1,840,000, of French at 640,000, of 

 Italians at 144,000, of the Romaic at 42,000. 



The total revenue, in 1871, amounted to 

 27,513,704 francs, and the expenditures at 

 24,782,366 francs, leaving a surplus of 2,731,- 

 338 francs. The public debt of the republic 

 amounted, at the commencement of 1871, to 

 21,396,648 francs, as a set-off against which 

 t there was a so-called "federal fortune," or 

 property belonging to the state, valued at 

 19,816,885 francs. 



The armed forces of Switzerland were, at 

 the end of September, 1872, as follows: 



1. Bundesanszug, or Federal army, consisting of 



men able to bear arms, from the age of 20 

 to 30 .. 



2. Reserve, comprising those who have served 



in the first class, from,the age of 31 to 40 ,. 



3. The landwehr, or militia, comprising all men 



from the 41st to the completed 44th year. . . . 65,981 



Total 200,419 



The aggregate length of the railroads which, 

 at the end of 1871, were in operation, was 

 1,472 kilometres ; all of them are private 

 roads, with the exception of the Canton of 

 Bern state railroad, and the Fribourg railroad. 

 The aggregate length of the telegraph lines, in 

 1872, was 5,312 kilometres ; and the length of 

 wires, 11,699 kilometres. 



The Federal Assembly ended the revision 

 of the Constitution on March 5th. This revised 

 Constitution, as adopted by the Assembly, ex- 

 tends, in many important respects, the juris- 

 diction of the central authorities at the ex- 



pense of the sovereignty of the cantons. All 

 the army matters are placed under the control 

 of the Federal authorities, while, heretofore, 

 only the general staff and the chief command 

 were appointed by these authorities. The 

 Confederation will have the right to es- 

 tablish, in addition to the Federal University 

 and the Federal Polytechnic Institution, other 

 educational institutions, and to enforce in all 

 the cantons compulsory and gratuitous instruc- 

 tion. Five cantons, or 50,000 citizens, have 

 the right to demand that any law adopted by 

 the Federal Assembly be submitted to a vote 

 of the Swiss people, and the same number of 

 cantons or citizens can demand that the As- 

 sembly take into consideration the introduc- 

 tion of any new or the repeal of any existing 

 law. Nearly three-fourths of the press of 

 Switzerland was favorable to the revised Con- 

 stitution ; nevertheless, when, on May 12th, it 

 was submitted to the popular vote, it was re- 

 jected, both by a majority of the canton's, and 

 by a majority of the entire votes cast. The 

 vote of the cantons was thirteen against, and 

 only nine for it ; while the people cast 257,444 

 against, and 252,477 votes for it. 



At the new election of members of the 

 National Council, held in October, the party 

 favorable to the revision of the Constitution 

 carried a considerable majority of the districts. 



The Pope having separated the Canton of 

 Geneva from the bishopric of Lausanne, with- 

 out the previous consent of the cantonal au- 

 thorities, and having appointed Abb6 Mermil- 

 lod the administrator of the new Diocese of 

 Geneva, the government of the canton, there- 

 fore, removed him, and forbade him to exer- 

 cise his episcopal functions within the dio- 

 cese. At the election for the Grand Council 

 of Geneva, which took place in November, 

 the action of the Government, with regard to 

 the Abbe" Mermillod, was made a test ques- 

 tion. The Government was sustained by a 

 vote of 8,900 against 1,500. 



The governments of those cantons which 

 belong to the Catholic Diocese of Basel, name- 

 ly, Basel, Aargau, Soleure, Bern, Thurgau, 

 Lucerne, and Zug, held, on November 19th, 

 a diocesan conference, which issued a pro- 

 test against the doctrine of papal infallibilit 

 and the excommunication of anti-infallibilis 

 priests. The Papal Nuncio sent to the Presi- 

 dent of the Federal Council a protest against 

 the resolutions passed by the Conference. 



T 



TENNESSEE. The first event worthy of 

 record in the history of this State, during the 

 year, was the proclamation of Governor Brown, 

 dated February 22d, for- convening the General 

 Assembly in extraordinary session, on the 12th 

 of March, to redistrict the State into nine con- 

 gressional districts, and other matters of im- 

 portance. 



The Legislature assembled at the appointed 

 time, but adjourned, after a very short session, 

 on the 1st of April. The business, however, 

 for which the extra session was chiefly called, 

 viz., the reapportionment of the State, was 

 completed. 



By the provisions of the supplemental ap- 

 portionment bill, passed by Congress, and ap- 



