Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1415

 GOVERNMENT 1059

quently acted on. The chief executive authority is deputed to a ' Bundesrath,' or Federal Council, consisting of seven members, elected for three years by the Federal Assembly. The members of this council must not hold any other office in the Confedera- tion or cantons, nor engage in any calling or business. It is only through this executive body that legislative measures are introduced in the deliberative councils, and its members are present at, and take part in their proceedings, but do not vote. Every citizen who has a vote for the National Council is eligible for becoming a member of the executive.

The President of the Confederation and the Vice-President of the Federal Council are the first magistrates of the Confederation. Both are elected by the Federal Assembly in joint session of the National and State councils for the term of one year, January 1 to December 31, and are not re-eligible to the same offices till after the expiration of another year. The Vice-President, however, may be and usually is, elected to succeed the out-going President.

President for 1899. — Edouard Milllcr, of Nidau (Bern).

Vice-President for 1899. — Walther Hauser, of Wadensweil (Ziirich) and St. Gall.

The seven members of the Federal Council— each of whom has a salary of 480'. per annum, while the President has 540Z, — act as ministers, or chiefs of the seven administrative departments of the Republic. These departments are: — 1. Foreign Affairs. 2. Interior. 3. Justice and Police. 4. Military. 5. Finance and Customs. 6. Agriculture and Industry. 7. Posts and Rail- ways. The city of Bern is the seat of the Federal Council and the central administrative authorities.

II. Local Government.

Each of the cantons and demi-cantons of Switzerland is ' souverain, ' so far as its independence and legislative powers are not restricted by the federal constitution ; each has its local government, different in its organisation in most instances, but all based on the principle of absolute sovereignty of the people. In a few of the smallest cantons, the people exercise their powers direct, without the intervention of any parliamentary machinery, all male citizens of full age assembling together in the open air, at stated periods, making laws and appointing their administrators. Such assemblies, known as the Landsgemeinden, exist in Appenzell, Glarus, Unterwald, and Uri, In all the larger cantons, there is a body chosen by universal suffrage, called der Grosse Rath, which exercises all the functions of the Landsgemeinden. In all the cantonal constitutions, however, except that of Freiburg and those of the cantons which have a Landsgemeinde, the referendum has a place. This principle is most fully developed in Zurich, where all laws and concordats, or agreements with other cantons, and the chief matters of finance, as well as all revision of the constitution, must be submitted to the popular vote. In many of the cantons, the popular initiative has also been introduced. The members of the cantonal councils, as well as most of the magistrates, are either lionorary servants of their fellow-citizens, or receive a merely nominal salary. In each canton there are districts (Amtsbezirke) consisting of a number of communes grouped together, each district having a Prefect (Regieruugstatt- halter) representing the canton. In the larger communes, for local affairs, there is an Asseml)ly (legislative) and a Council (executive) with a president, maire or syndic, and not less than 4 other members. In the smaller com- munes there is a council only, with its proper officials.

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