lOO EMPLOYMENT OF THE PLEBISCITE [398 



tion. In Savoy, with 135,449 electors. 130,533 voted for 

 and 235 against the impending change. ^- 



On June 12 a decree of the French Senate proclaimed 

 Savoy and Nice '* an integral part of France."^^ 



The publication of the treaty in the Monitcur was pro- 

 tested by Switzerland on the ground that the " Treaty for 

 the cession of Savoy to France " having " been concluded 

 without the concurrence of Switzerland, which had, how- 

 ever, applied to be allowed to participate in it as one of the 

 principal parties concerned in the negotiations relative to 

 this Cession, this official publication cannot be considered 

 by the Federal Council but as a preliminary act of menace 

 against the rights of which the Confederation is possessed 

 in virtue of former treaties, ..." and that " a preliminary 

 occupation by foreign agents would be an unfair coercion 

 of the free expression of the wishes of the population of 

 these provinces."" 



The second ground was clearly a protest against the 

 manner in which the expression of free consent was being 

 secured, while the first was tantamount to a charge of 

 violation of past treaties to which, besides France and Sar- 

 dinia, other signatories were parties. The Powers who had 

 signed the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna and the 

 Declaration of Paris of the 20th of November, 181 5, had 

 recognized and guaranteed the neutrality of Switzerland 

 and had extended " the neutrality of Switzerland " to part 

 of Savoy (Faucigny, Chablais, and Genevois) forming part 

 of the Kingdom of Sardinia.^' 



The Franco-Sardinian cession treaty of March 24 had 

 taken cognizance of the obligations regarding the neutral- 

 ized part of Savoy and in Article II had recognized that 

 " the King of Sardinia cannot transfer the neutralized parts 

 of Savoy except on the conditions upon which he himself 



'2 Ibid.; Frcudcnthal, p. 9; Stoerk, pp. 129-135. 

 '3 Freudentlial, p. 9. 

 1* Hertslet, vol. ii, pp. 1435-36. 



^'^Ibid., vol. i, p. 67, Art. 5; p. 262, Art. 92; p. 328, Art. 4; pp. 

 370-371. 



