Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/72

34 as it hews the impoibility of erecting even the mallet government, among the pooret people, without different orders, councils, and balances.

My dear Sir,

HE canton of Switz has the honour of giving the name to the whole confederation, becaue the firt battle for independency was fought there: yet it conits only of villages divided into ix quarters, the firt of which is Switz, where the ordinary regency of the country reides. Thefovereign is the whole country; that is to ay, the overeignty reides in the general aembly of the country, where all the males of fifteen years of age have a right of entry and uffrage.

Yet they have their land amman, and their ordinary regency, at which the land amman preides, compoed of ixty counellors, taken equally from the ix quarters. All the neceary officers are taken from this council.

There are, beides, the ecret chamber, the chamber of even, and the chamber of nine, for finance, jutice, and police.