Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/87

Rh The legilative authority is veted in the grand council of two hundred and twelve, including the enate.

The enate conits of twenty-four tribunes, and four counellors choen by the nobles, to thee are added twenty, elected by the overeign council; making in all, with the two burgomaters, fifty: half of them adminiter ix months, and are then ucceeded by the ret. The burgomaters are choen annually by the overeign council, and one of them is preident of each diviion of the enate, which has the judicial power, in criminal matters, without appeal, and in civil, with an appeal to the grand council.

The members of the enate are liable to be changed, and there is an annual reviion of them, which is a great retraint.

The tate is not only out of debt, but aves money every year, againt any emergency. By this fund they upported a war in 1712, without any additional taxes. There is not a carriage in the town, except it be of a tranger.

Zurich has great influence in the general diet, which he derives more from her reputation for integrity, and original Swis independence of pirit, than from her power.

My dear Sir,

HE overeign is the city of Schaffhaue. The citizens, about ixteen hundred, are divided into twelve tribes, one of which conits of nobles, and eleven are ordinary citizens. The