BASLE. 



319 



Basle, disposed of all the principal offices, which could be 

 v ' held by none but hnrghers. 



Once a year the people assembled, to receive pub- 

 licly, an oath, made by the magistrates, that they 

 would maintain the laws in their integrity, and pre- 

 serve the public rights and immunities inviolate. A 

 reciprocal oath of allegiance to the magistrates was 

 taken by the people in their respective tribes. No- 

 where was the conduct of magistrates more strictly 

 ecrutinised, or more freely censured than at "Basle. In 

 the exercise of their right of Scrutiny, the people, al- 

 ways ready to mistake turbulence for freedom, have 

 frequently become tumultuous and disorderly ; yet it 

 cannot be denied, that the effects of this privilege 

 were, in general, salutary. While it deteired the 

 magistrates from every species of injustice, it enlight- 

 ened the other members of the community with re- 

 A to those laws of which they were the vigilant 

 guardians, and fostered in them a spirit of independ- 

 ence which was the best security for the integrity of 

 their constitution. 



The little council was divided into two parts, over 

 each of which a burgomaster presided, together with 

 a grand tribune) who succeeded the burgomaster, in 

 case of his death. Each division governed for a year. 

 This council had the right of judging petty crimes, 

 of deciding causes of appeal from the citizens, and 

 disposing of benefices in the church, and the inferior 

 offices in the state. It was confirmed annually by the 

 great council, each member cf which was likewise 

 confirmed by the other members of the two councils, 

 who belonged to the same tribe with himself. 



The canton is divided into seven bailliages : of the 

 bailifs, whose jurisdiction generally continues eight 

 years, four are chosen from the little council, and two 

 others indifferently from the great council, or from 

 the company of burghers. 



The mode of electing magistrates and members of 

 the councils was sufficiently singular. Formerly the 

 choice used to be made by a plurality of voices ; but 

 as the intrigues and influence of the more opulent 

 and powerful gave them the ascendency in every elec- 

 tion, it became necessary to adopt some other expe- 

 dient. Three citizens were therefore selected, one of 

 whom was chosen by lot to the vacant office. This 

 was called the ternaire. Even this method, how- 

 ever, not being sufficient to counterbalance the influ- 

 ence of the wealthy, six candidates were selected in- 

 stead of three. Their names, enclosed in silver eggs, 

 were placed in one bag ; and six cards, on one of 

 which was inscribed the vacant employment, were put 

 into another. The reigning burgomaster and the great 

 tribune drew at once from these two bags ; and he 

 was the successful competitor whose name was brought 

 out at the same time with the ticket on which the 

 destined office was inscribed. This mode of election 

 was called the senaire. 



The same republican jealousy gave rise to a re- 

 gulation which rendered it impossible for a father and 

 son, a father-in-law and son-in-law, or two brothers, 

 to be admitted at the sar.ie time either into the little 

 council, or into the number of members of the great 

 council chosen from the same tribe. While a noble- 

 man, who was unwilling to resign his title of nobility, 

 could not be elected a member of the supreme coun- 



cil, that honour was open to the meanest of the com- 

 munity ; for the vacancies in the two councils were 

 supplied from all ranks of citizens, the members of 

 the university alone excepted. 



It is natural to suppose that many inconveniences 

 must have resulted from the absurd practice of sup- 

 plying the vacant posts in the government by lot. 

 Candidates, whose talents and integrity would have 

 secured the deliberate preference of their countrymen, 

 might constantly fail to obtain the successful ticket ; 

 which fortune might bestow on one altogether un- 

 qualified for the employment to which he aspired. 

 Notwithstanding these inconveniences, however, the 

 government was in general well conducted ; and very 

 few instances occurred of the abuse of civil justice, or 

 of innocence being sacrificed to the powerful or the 

 opulent. 



The same mode of election was employed, still 

 more absurdly, in supplying the vacant chairs in the 

 university ; as if genius and knowledge were equally 

 shared among the literati of Ba'sle, and selection were 

 a matter of perfect indifference. The professors, 

 however, were extremely accommodating to one ano- 

 ther ; for as it frequently happened that the succes- 

 ful candidates were but little acquainted with the sci 

 ences which they were appointed to teach, they merely 

 exchanged chairs, and thus matters were set to rights. 

 In this case the ternaire was employed, and the three 

 candidates were nominated from those who had taken 

 the degree of doctor. 



With regard to the military constitution of Basle,, 

 the town audits suburbs are divided into six companies- 

 of burghers. The country furnishes two regiments 

 of militia, each consisting of nine companies of fusi- 

 leers, a company of grenadiers, and one of dragoons.- 

 The Basiliansare Protestants, and the clergy form 

 in the capital a convent/is, and three chapters in the 

 country. Over all these, the first pastor of the ca-- 

 thedral presides. In all the reformed churches of 

 Swisserland, the ministers are entitled to sit with the 

 6ecular judges in the consistory, which tribunal can 

 decide in cases of fornication and adultery, as well as 

 on causes of matrimony or divorce. 



The inhabitants of this cantm are remarkable for 

 their gravity of deportment, and would consider any 

 indulgence in playful levity, as very derogatory from 

 their dignity. In general they are extremely attach- 

 ed to their own country, which they seem to regard 

 as the only abode of terrestrial happiness. They 

 were, indeed, one of the happiest nations on earth, 

 till the emissaries of France, deluding them with the 

 visionary prospects of absolute freedom and equality, 

 involved them in all the miseries of civil revolution 

 ami foreign subjugation. Basle was the first canton 

 which separated from the Helvetic confederacy, and 

 adopted the new constitution fabricated for Swisser- 

 land by its French oppressors. The progress of the 

 revolution was here almost instantaneous. The pea- 

 sants, always jealous of the monopolies of privileges 

 vested in the burghers, and now urged on by the 

 artful intrigues of the French, rose in different dis- 

 tricts, demolished the castles of the bailiffs, and 

 loudly demanded emancipation and independence. 

 The magistrates, overawed by the enemy's army, 

 which had already overrun the bishopric of Basle, 



Basle. 



