try first commits the care of satisfying her just vengeance. Be certain that you will fulfil your noble destination.

Recollect that the victory begins in your docks and in your marine and military exercises. Those ships which insolently cruise along our shores, at sight of your labours may return and say to their government," a fearful day is preparing the winds and sea, again favourable to the conqueror of Egypt, may, in a few hours, bring him to our coasts, and with him the innumerable companions of his glory." To hasten this result, it is my first duty to establish a ses vere discipline in the national flotilla. Subordination will regulate your efforts that can alone add to the activity of your labours. Sailors, we are on the field of battle to lose a moment would be criminal cowardice. Redouble, therefore, your zeal, multiply your services; and the nation which oppresses the seas, will be conquered by terror, before it experiences the fate of arms, and sinks beneath the blows of our heroes.

it has recently defended by its arms, and caused to be acknowledged by its treaties; the interest of France, and of the Italian republic, the frontiers of which are covered by Switzerland; the demand of the senate; that of the democratic cantons; the entire wish of the people of Helvetia ; have imposed a duty upon us of interposing our mediation between the parties which divide it. The senators Barthelemy, Ræderer, Fouche, and Demeunier, have been commissioned by us to confer with fifty-six deputies of the Helvetic senate, and the towns and cantons re-united to Paris, in order to determine if Switzerland, united by Nature, could be retained under a central government, otherwise than by force; to ascertain the sort of constitution which was most conformable to the wish of each canton; to distinguish what will best suit the ideas of the new cantons, respecting liberty and happiness; to conciliate, in the old cantons, the institutions consecrated by time, with the rights restored to the mass of citizens. Such were the objects which it was necessary to submit to examination and discussion. Their importance and difficulty have determined us to hear, ourselves, ten deputies named by the two parties, to wit; citizens D'Affry, Glutz, Jauch, Monnot, Reinhart, Sprecher, Stapfer, Ustery, Watteville, and Vonflue; and we have weighed the result of their discussions, as well with the different projets presented by the can tonal deputations, as with the results of the discussions which have taken place between these deputations, and those senatorial commissaries. Having thus employed every means of ascertaining the interests and wish of the Swiss, WE, (L2)

in

in quality of mediator, without any other view than that of the happiness of the people on whose interests we have to pronounce, and without prejudice to the independence of Switzerland, decree as follows:

[Here follow the particular constitutions of the nineteen cantons, which occupy nineteen chapters. Then comes chapter XX., entitled Federal Act.]

TITLE I.-GENERAL DISPOSITIONS.

Art. I. The nineteen cantons of Switzerland, to wit: Appenzell, Argovia, Basle, Berne, Fribourg, Glaris, Grisons, Lucerne, Saint Gall, Schaffouse, Schwitz, Soleure, Tessin, Turgovia, Underwald, Uri, Vaud, Zug, and Zurich, are confederated with each other conformably to the principles established in their respective constitutions. They mutually guarantee their constitution, territory, liberty, and independence, whether against foreign powers, or the usurpation of a canton, or a private faction.

II. The quotas of troops, or money, which may be necessary for the execution of this guarantee, shall be furnished by each canton, in the following proportion.

[Here follows the quota for each canton, in men and money.]

III. There no longer exist in Switzerland any feuds, privileges of places, birth, persons, or families.

IV. Every citizen may pursue his inclination in removing his household to another canton, and exercising his trade without restraint: he acquires political rights conformably to the law of the canton in which he is established; but he cannot enjoy at once the political rights of two cantons.

V. The ancient rights of interior and exterior impost are abolished.

The free circulation of victuals, cattle, and merchandise, is guaranteed. No right of grant, entry, passage, or custom-house duty, may be established in the interior of Switzerland. The custom-house duties on the frontiers are for the benefit of the cantons next to the frontiers, but the tariffs must be submitted to the approbation of the diet.

VI. Each canton preserves the tolls destined for the reparation of roads, drains, and canals. The tariffs must be also submitted to the approbation of the diet.

VII. Moneys coined in Switzerland shall bear a uniform stamp, which shall be determined by the diet.

VIII. No canton can afford an asylum to a criminal legally condemned, nor to an outlaw legally pursued.

IX. The number of hired troops which a canton may entertain, is restricted to 200 men.

X. Every alliance of one canton with another, or with a foreign power, is forbidden.

XI. The government, or the legislative body of any canton, which violates a decree of the diet, may be denounced, as in rebellion, before a tribunal, composed of the presidents of all the criminal tribunals of all the other cantons.

XII. The cantons enjoy all the powers which have not been expressly delegated to the federal authority.

TITLE II.-OF THE DIRECTORIAL CANTON.

XIII. The diet assembles by turns, and from one year to another, at Fribourg, Berne, Soleure, Basle, Zurich, and Lucerne.

XIV. The cantons of which those places are the capitals, are to

be

be successively directorial cantons: the year of the directorship commences from the 1st January.

XV. The directorial canton furnishes the deputies to the diet with lodging, and a guard of honour; it provides the expenses of the sittings.

XVI. The intendant or burgomaster of the directorial canton, adds to his title that of landamman of Switzerland; he is keeper of the seal of the Helvetic republic; he must not quit the city. The grand council of his canton grants him extraordinary honours, and defrays the extraordinary expenses attached to this magistracy.

XVII. Foreign ministers give in to the landamman of Switzerland their letters of credence, or recal, and address to him for negotiations. He is the intermediate person betwixt the other diplomatic relations.'

XVIII. At the opening of the diets he produces the documents which are in his hand, respecting the interior and exterior affairs which concern the federation.

XIX. No canton, within itself, can enrol more than 500 militia, without previous notice to the landamman.

XX. In case of revolt in the interior of a canton, or any other pressing occasion, troops are to march from one canton to another; but only on demand of the first or second council of the canton which demands aid, and after having taken the advice of the second council of the directorial canton; saving a convocation of the diet after the repression of hostilities, or if danger continues.

XXI. If, during the vacancies of the diet, disputes arise between two or more cantons, they are to be addressed to the landamman; who, according to the pressure of cir

cumstances, names conciliatory arbiters, or adjourns the discussion to the next diet.

XXII. He warns the cantons that, if their interior conduct disturbs the tranquillity of Switzerland, or if any irregularity or difference takes place among them, whether as to the federal act or their particular constitution, he may then assemble the grand council, or lands gemeindes, in places where the supreme authority is immediately exercised by the people.

XXIII. The landamman sends, occasionally, inspectors to examine roads and rivers. On those occasions he expedites labour; and, in case of necessity, he puts in immediate execution, and at the expense of those who ought to finish them, those which are not begun or finished at the time prescribed.

XXIV. His signature gives credit, and a national stamp, to the acts to which it is subscribed.

TITLE III.-OF THE DIET.

XXV. Every canton shall send a deputy to the diet, to which may be added one or two counsellors to replace him in case of absence or sickness.

XXVI. The deputies to the diet have instructions and limited powers, and they are not to vote contrary to their instructions.

XXVII. The landamman of Switzerland is of right deputy of the director of the canton.

XXVIII. The nineteen deputies who compose the diet, form twenty-five votes in the deliberations.

The deputies of the cantons whose population is more than 100,000 inhabitants; namely, those of Berne, Zurich, Vaud, St. Gall, Argovia, and Grisons, have each two votes.

The deputies of the cantons (L3) whose

whose population is under 100,000 souls; namely, Tessin, De Lucerne, Thurgovia, Fribourg, Appenzell, Soleure, Basle, Schwitz, Glaris, Schaffouse, Underwald, Zug, and Uri; have each but, one

vote.

XXIX. The diet, over which the landamman of Switzerland presides, shall assemble the. first Monday in June, and its session shall not exceed the term of one month.

necessary measures for the safety of Switzerland, and the execution of the other dispositions of the Ist article. It has the same right if disturbances arise in one canton, and menace the repose of the others.

XXXV. It shall nominate, and send, extraordinary ambassadors.

XXXVI. It decides on the disputes which happen between the cantons, if they have not been determined by arbitration. For this purpose it is formed into a syndi cate, at the end of its ordinary la

2. Upon the recommendation of the grand council, or of the lands gemeindes of five cantons, who may deem as well founded a demand which the director of the canton has refused to admit.

3. When they shall be convoked by the landamman of Switzer land.

XXXI. The declarations of war, and the treaties of peace or alliance, shall proceed from the diet, but the consent of three-fourths of the cantons is necessary.

XXXII. It shall alone conclude treaties of commerce and capitulations for foreign service. It may authorise the cantons, if necessary, to treat particularly on other subjects with a foreign power.

XXXIII. There shall be no recruiting in any canton, for a foreign power, without consent.

XXXIV. The diet shall order the contingent of troops, determined for each canton, for the IInd article. It shall nominate the general who is to command them; and it shall also take the

XXXVII. The proces verbaux of the diet are entered into two registries, one of which remains with the directorial canton; and the other, with the state seal, is, at the end of December, transported to the capital of the directorial can ton.

XXXVIII. A chancellor, and a secretary, named by the diet for two years, and paid by the directorial canton, conformably to the regulations of the diet, follow always the seal and the register.

XXXIX. The constitution of each canton, written on parchment, and sealed with the seal of the canton, shall be deposited among the archives of the diet.

XL. The present federal act, as well as the particular constitutions of the nineteer cantons, annul all former dispositions which are contrary to them; and any law, as to what concerns the interior regulation of the cantons, and their connexion with each other, cannot be founded on the old political state of Switzerland.

The repose of Switzerland, the success of the new institutions which are about to be formed, demand that the necessary operations

to