754 



SWITZERLAND. 



ous Yice-President, succeeded to the Presidency 

 of the Federal Tribunal. The administrative 

 departments were assigned to the Federal 

 Councilors on Dec. 12, as follows: President, 

 Schenk ; Deputy, Deucher ; Interior, Deucher ; 

 Justice and Police, Ruchonnet ; Military, Her- 

 tenstein ; Finance, Hammer ; Commerce and 

 Agriculture, Droz; Posts and Railroads, Welti. 



Politics and Legislation. In the early part of 

 the year the country was excited over a ref- 

 erendum that was set on foot by the Con- 

 servative organization of the Federal Associa- 

 tion for the rejection of four acts of the 

 Federal Assembly. One provided for a reor- 

 ganization of the Department of Justice, one 

 for an allowance to the minister in Washington 

 for clerk-hire, one for the removal of cases 

 involving the political opinions of the accused 

 from courts presided over by partisan judges, 

 and one for the repeal of the tax on commer- 

 cial travelers. These laws were vetoed by the 

 popular vote, by a majority of 50,000, on the 

 llth of May. In consequence of the criticisms 

 on the institution of the ministry at Washing- 

 ton of which he was the first incumbent, and 

 of the attacks upon his character and services, 

 Colonel Frei, whose expenses in Washington 

 exceeded the 50,000 francs allowed him, re- 

 signed his post. In Basel a cantonal enact- 

 ment excluding members of religious orders 

 from the occupation of teaching was approved 

 in a popular referendum, Feb. 24, from which 

 the Catholic authorities appealed to the Fed- 

 eral Council. The National Council and State 

 Council agreed in 1884 upon the provisions of 

 a new tariff which was under discussion for 

 two sessions. 



Religions Affairs. Two conventions were 

 signed in the beginning of September between 

 the representatives of the Swiss Government 

 and the Holy See. One re-establishes the dio- 

 cese of Basel, and the other places Ticino un- 

 der an Apostolic Vicariate. 



Representatives of the cantonal govern- 

 ments of Vaud, Neufchatel, and Bern, at a 

 conference in Bern, decided on a common 

 policy toward the Salvationists, which con- 

 sisted in allowing and protecting private meet- 

 ings, while maintaining the interdict upon 

 public exercises. Subsequently the Bern au- 

 thorities issued a decree forbidding all exer- 

 cises of the Salvation Army in the canton. 



The agents of the Mormons of Utah have 

 been active in Switzerland recently. In the 

 autumn of 1884 the inhabitants of one village 

 went over to the new religion in a body. The 

 missionaries, who had their headquarters at 

 Bern, were closely watched by the police. 



The Drink Question. The drinking of brandy 

 and absinthe has increased so fast in the past 

 ten years, that the Federal Council decided to 

 make a thorough investigation of the subject, 

 with a view to remedial measures. The im- 

 ports of wines increased from 202,555 quintals 

 in 1851 to 803,969 quintals per annum during 

 the three years ending with 1882. The im- 



ports of spirits, averaging 85-^588 quintals in 

 1851-'55, are now 130,000 quintals. The do- 

 mestic production of wine has greatly dimin- 

 ished of late years, owing to bad seasons, and 

 the production of cider in a still higher ratio. 

 This falling off in the native production, with 

 the increase in price and deterioration in 

 quality of the French wines, is assumed to be 

 the reason of the increased consumption of 

 spirits. 



Conflict with the Canton Ticino. A new conflict 

 of authority arose in November between the 

 Federal Council and the government of the 

 Canton Ticino. The cantonal authorities or- 

 dered the municipality of Lugano to restore to 

 the electoral register the names of certain citi- 

 zens that had been removed. Upon refusal, 

 they ordered gendarmes to take possession oi 

 the town-hall, and imposed a fine. A plot oi 

 ground belonging to Municipal Councilor En- 

 delin was sold under an execution. The Fed- 

 eral Council ordered a suspension of proceed- 

 ings, and threatened to send Federal troops 

 to occupy the canton. After the arrival of a 

 Federal commissary with soldiery, the Execu- 

 tive Council of Ticino directed that the sale of 

 Councilor Endelin's property be annulled, but 

 the disturbed owner and the purchaser, a rela- 

 tive of Endelin, both demanded damages. 



Expulsion of Anarchists. In the summer the 

 Swiss Government began to reverse its policy 

 of extending asylum to revolutionary exiles. 

 Neve andKaufmann, two influential anarchists, 

 the widow of Stellmacher, and others, were 

 arrested in Zurich for circulating pamphlets 

 treating of the execution of Stellmacher. When 

 tried in November, the prisoners were all ac- 

 quitted. In the latter part of September the 

 artist Gerhard was arrested, but was released 

 again ; in Zurich and in Liesthal the German 

 anarchists Robert Pfau and Anton Buehler 

 were condemned to three months 1 imprison- 

 ment, and Theodor Weiss to six months. Their 

 offense was posting socialistic placards in the 

 streets. The last-named, thinking to escape 

 punishment, informed the authorities that he 

 was a spy, employed by the Police Inspector 

 of Berlin. The law officers ascertained it t< 

 be a fact that he was an agent provocateur wh( 

 had posed as a Socialistic leader in Berlin and 

 Elberfeld, as well as in Switzerland, and treated 

 it as an aggravating circumstance. Indigna- 

 tion was expressed in the public press at the 

 employment of German and Russian spies in 

 Switzerland. Six anarchists condemned at Zu- 

 rich for conspiracies against their respective 

 governments were acquitted by the Supreme 

 Court, and extradition was denied, yet three 

 of them, an Austrian and two Germans, were 

 expelled the country. 



Withdrawal from the Latin Union. Switzerland 

 has suffered monetary inconvenience from a 

 dearth of small coins, and accordingly requested 

 France and the other members of the mone- 

 tary league to sanction an increase of her to- 

 ken currency. The treaty allows six francs 



