SWITZERLAND. 



BYDNBY. 



781 



1797 Oeoenl Bonaparte seize* upon ValteUina, Chinvcnua, and 

 Bonnift, which wereinbjert to the Orwons, and annexe* them to the 

 ChaMe* rapahUe. In the meantime another body of French troops 

 ZtYtW free town of Bienne, an ally of the Swis*. 



17'p4. Democratic revolution at Basel. InBurrection in the Aargau. 

 Diet held at Aarau. the lt of the old Confederation. The French 

 .jam) Monard. with 16,000 men, enter* the Pay-de-Vaud, and pro- 

 njgjj-r iu independence. The French enter Bern, and spresd over the 

 .migr part of Switzerland. The Koret canton* refuse to submit ; 

 the French attack them, and are repulsed at Rcthenthurm by Aloys 

 ReiiiM. In September* large French foroe under Schaueuburg invades 

 the district of Nidwalden, or Lower Unterwalden, tlie inhabitants of 

 which made a desperate reaistance, and most of them were slain. 



1799. The Austrians and Hussions enter Switzerland, and drive the 

 French from the central cantons. Massena defeats the Russians at 

 Zurich in September. Suvarrow enter* Switzerland from Italy by the 

 SU-Uothard, but is obliged to retire into the GrUons. 



1801. Peace of Luneville; the French evacuate Switzerland. Anew 

 federal constitution is proclaimed, but rejected. 



1803. Bonaparte, first consul of France, offers his mediation to the 

 Swim. The Act of Mediation is framed and accepted, constituting 

 Switzerland into nineteen cantons, upon an equal footing, under the 

 protection of France. The Yalais, Geneva, Neufcbatel, and other 

 district*, are annexed to France. 



1813. After the battle of Leipzig tho allied troops pass through 

 Switzerland on their way to France. The allied sovereigns refuse to 

 recognise Napoleon's Act of Mediation. 



1815. The allied powers at the Congress of Vienna acknowledge tho 

 independence of Switzerland within its former limits. New confede- 

 ration of twenty-two sovereign cantons, represented in a Federal Diet, 

 ordered to assemble at least once a year, by turns at Bern, Zurich, 

 and Luxern, to discuss all matters internal and external concerning 

 the general interest of the confederation. The Diet was vested with 

 power to declare war, make peace, and form alliances with foreign 

 power*. No canton allowed to take up arms against another, but all 

 serious differences between one canton and another must be referred 

 to the Diet Each canton had a single vote in the Diet, in which 

 measure* were carried by a simple majority. The executive council 

 of the canton in which the Diet assembled in any year, and which 

 was styled the Vorort, or directing canton, had to carry into execution 

 the resolutions of the Diet, and otherwise to provide for the well-being 

 of the confederation during the prorogation of the Diet. 



1880-31. Most of the larger cantons, whose representation was based 

 upon the principle of property, effect a change by which universal 

 suffrage is established. The proposed change finds a strong opposition 

 in Basel, in consequence of which the town separates itself from the 

 country district*, which form themselves into a separate republic, or 

 half canton. Neufchfttel, after some bloodshed, retains its old consti- 

 tution under the king of Prussia, who is prince of Xeufchatel. Geneva 

 retain* it* constitution with a small property qualification for electors. 

 The Forest cantons retain their pure democratic form, with general 

 assemblies of the whole male population. 



1832. The Diet decide* to revise the Federal Pact, and the Catholic 

 canton* of Sehwyx, Uri, and Unterwalden, from distrust of the influ- 

 ence of the radical* (whose object was to establish a closely united 

 republic worked by a central government) form the League of Saruen, 

 which was subsequently joined by Luzeru, Freyburg, Zug, and Valais. 



1831-36. Polish and other political refugees endanger the neutrality 

 and tranquillity of Switzerland, and are expelled. 



1839. A new law comes into operation, to establish a system of 

 education independent of the clergy. It is opposed at first by the 

 Protc*Unt pastor*, who in Zurich put themselves at the head of the 

 Dement*, and effected a dissolution of the radical government. The 

 Jesuits, who were the chief instructors iu the canton of Luzeru and 

 some other Catholic cantons, become in consequence of this law, 

 direct mark* of radical antagonism. 



1844. Aargau demands the expulsion of the Jesuits from Switzerland, 

 and u supported in the Diet only by the half-vote of B&le-Campagne. 



1845. The radical party, in order to effect the expulsion of the 

 JesuiU, organise bodies of armed men called the Free Corps, which, 

 commanded by colonel Ochsenbein, invade Luzern and are defeated. 

 The radical canton* refuse to dissolve the Free Corps. 



1848. The League of Sarnen dissolved, and the Sonderlund, or 

 separate League of tbo Seven Catholic Cantons, formed for mutual 

 defence against the Free Corps. 



1847. A resolution from Geneva (iu which a revolution bad taken 

 place, giving the radical party the supremacy in that canton) is 

 adopted by the Diet, which decree* (July 29) the illegality of tho 

 Hoodertrand, and (Sept. 8) the expulsion of the Jesuits. The Sonder- 

 bund protest*, and both parties are for war. Tho federal army under 

 KOTKtml Dofour defeat* the force* of the Souderbund at Freyburg 

 (Nov. 13) and at Laura (Nov. 24), whereupon the leagued cantons 

 about, and are made liable for all expense* of the war; the monasteries 



uppraend, and the JesuiU expelled. 

 48. (Sept. 1" ~ 



1848. (Sept. 12). Promulgation of a new constitution. 



By this constitution the sovereign power is vested in the Federal 

 Aieembly, which oonsiiU of two chambers, the National Council and 

 the Council of State, or Senate. The National Council consists of 



members, elected by the cantons for three years, in the proportion of 

 one member for every 20,000 inhabitant?, the half-cantons returning 

 one member at least ; and when a canton has a surplus population 

 amounting to 10,000, it is entitled to bare an additional representa- 

 tive. The Council of State consist* of 44 members, two representatives 

 for each canton, the half-cantons returning only one each. The 

 confederation, represented by the two councils, alouo has the right to 

 declare war and make peace, and to settle matters between the cantons 

 and foreign governments. The federal assembly chooses, from among 

 the citizens eligible to tho national council, the Federal Council, 

 which consists of seven members, and holds office for three yean. 

 The federal council U the ministry of the confederation ; its members 

 conduct the departments of politics, the interior, the military, finance, 

 commerce and customs, public works, justice and police. The presi- 

 dent and vice-president of the federation, and of the federal council, 

 are named annually in a united sitting of the federal assembly, and 

 may not be re-elected for the space of a year after their term of office 

 expires. The Federal Tribunal, also appointed by the federal assembly 

 for three years, consists of 11 members and 11 substitutes. This 

 tribunal decides in civil matters between the cantons, between these 

 and the confederation, between the cantons and private parties, and 

 in suit* arising about the reception of the Heimatbloseu. For 

 criminal business it is divided into sections. On the 23th of Nov., 

 1848, the city of Bern was chosen as the federal city by both chambers 

 of the federal assembly. 



(Franscini, Slatutica delta Sviziera ; Leresuhe, Dictionnaire Gcoyra- 

 phique-Statittique de la Suitsc ; Hoffmann, Die JDeuttchland und wine 

 Bewohner; Berghaus, A nnalen der Srd- Volkerund Slaatekunde; London 

 Geographical Journal, for 1854.) 



SWORDS. [DUBLIN, County of.] 



SYBARIS. [CALABRIA.] 



SYDENHAM. [KM*.] 



SYDLING, ST. NICHOLAS. [DORSETSHIRE.] 



SYDNEY, New South Wales, the capital of the colony, a city and 

 sea-port, in the county of Cumberland, is situated on the south shore 

 of Port Jackson, an inlet on the east coast of Australia, in 33 SO' 

 S. lat, 151 10' E. long., distant about 13,000 miles from Great Britain 

 by the Cape of Good Hope. The city is governed by 6 aldermen and 

 24 councillors, one of whom is mayor; and sends two members to 

 the Provincial Parliament. The population in 1838 was about 20,000; 

 in 1846 it was 38,358 ; in 1851 it was about 50,000. 



The harbour of Port Jackson, entered by a narrow passage between 

 the North and South Heads, two bold headlands in the precipitous 

 coast-line, is completely protected from easterly winds and the swell of 

 the Pacific by a third point called Middle Head, which stretches from 

 the south shore just within the entrance. On south head there are a 

 lighthouse and signal station ; the light, which is 345 feet above the 

 sea-level, is seen at 30 miles' distance. The harbour affords excellent 

 anchorage in all parts for vessels of any burden. Within the entrance, 

 which is less than a mile in breadth, the harbour suddenly expands to 

 a width of 3 miles, and at 7 miles inland contracts to a width of n 

 mile and a half. Here two ridges and an intervening level bounded 

 by Wooloomooloo Bay on the east, and Darling Harbour, a deep inlet, 

 on the west, with Farm Cove and Sydney Cove between form the 

 site of the city. George-street, the chief business part of the town, 

 is a fine thoroughfare nearly two miles long. The houses, many of 

 which are small, are constructed of wood or brick, or of sandstone. 

 There are several handsome streets, containing many good dwelling- 

 houses and shops. The city is well paved, lighted with gas, and 

 supplied with water by a tunneled aqueduct nearly 2 miles long. 



In the vicinity of Sydney are numerous suburbs. The ridge of the 

 west promontory is occupied by Dawcs's Battery. Macquarrie Fort 

 stands at the point of the eastern promontory, on the summit of 

 which is the government-house, a handsome edifice lately erected in 

 the gothic style. A principal place of public resort is Hyde Park, an 

 inclosed oommon on the south side of the town. The Botanic Gardens 

 comprise a rich and well-arranged collection of shrubs and flowers. 

 The cathedral church of St. James's, a plain brick building with a 

 lofty spire, stands on the north side of Hyde Park. St. Philip's church, 

 the oldest iu the colony, was built in 1793. The Roman Catholic 

 cathedral, an imposing gothic structure, stands near St. James's. 

 There are several chapels for Scotch Presbyterians, Independents, 

 Methodists, and Baptists. Sydney college in Hyde Park, and tho 

 Australian college, afford superior instruction in classics, mathematics, 

 and English literature. There are also a normal institution, some 

 free schools supported by government, a female school of industry, 

 and a mechanics institute. The other public buildings are the 

 court-house, the council chambers, the new market-place, the custom- 

 house, the colonial offices, the jail, the new military barracks, tho 

 convict barracks, the colonial hospital, the lunatic asylum, the asylum 

 for the aged and infirm, the theatre, the museum, the Australian 

 library, and the commissariat store, an extensive stone building, into 

 which tha largest vessels may discharge their cargoes. The manu- 

 factures of the city are coarse woollens, tallow, soap and candles, 

 starch, tobacco and snuff, hate, and ropes. There are several breweries 

 and distilleries, tanneries, coach-works, saw-mills, and flour-mills. 

 The adjacent heights are occupied by a number of windmills, and at 

 Canterbury, 44 miles from the city, there is a large manufactory for 



