Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1420

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SWITZERLAND

the Tribunal itself. It has original and final jurisdiction in suits between the Confederation aud cantons ; between cantons and cantons ; between the Con- federation or cantons and corporations or individuals, the value in dispute being not less than 3,000 francs ; between parties who refer their case to it, the value in dispute being at least 3,000 francs ; and also in such suits as the constitution or legislation of cantons places within its authority. There are also many classes of railway suits which it is called on to decide. It is a Court of Appeal against decisions of other Federal authorities, and of can- tonal authorities applying Federal laws. The Tribunal also tries persons accused of treason or other offences against the Confederation. For this pur- pose it is divided into four chambers : the Chamber of Accusation, the Criminal Chamber (Cour d'Assises), the Federal Penal Court, and the Court of Cassation. The jurors who serve in the Assize Courts are elected by the people, and are paid ten francs a day Avhen serving.

Each canton has its own judicial system for ordinary civil and criminal trials.

On December 31, 1896, the prison population (condemned) of Switzerland consisted of 4,177, of Avhom 650 were women.

Capital punishment exists in Appenzell-I.-Eh., Obwalden, Uri, Schwyz, Zug, St. Gallen, Luzern, Valais, Schafiliausen, and Freiburg.

Finance.

The Confederation has no power to levy direct taxes ; its chief source of revenue is the customs. In extraordinary cases it may levy a rate upon the various cantons according to a settled scale. A considerable income is derived from the postal and telegraph establishments, but part of the postal revenue, as well as of the customs dues, has to be paid over to the cantonal administrations, in compensation for the loss of such sources of former income. The entire proceeds of the Federal alcohol monopoly (6,306,668 francs in 1897) are divided among the cantons, and they have to expend one-tenth of the amount received in combating alcoholism in its causes and effects. Various Federal manufactories yield considerable revenue. Of the proceeds of the tax for exemption from military service, levied through the cantons, one-half (1,565,413 francs in 1897) goes to the Confederation and the other to the cantons.

The following table gives the total revenue and expenditure of the Confederation for five years : —

Year

Revenue

Expenditure

Francs

Francs

1893

78,226,526

86,301,439

1894

84,047,312

83,675,812

1895

81,005,586

76,402,631

1896

87,262,389

79,559,657

1897

91,556,543

87,317,364

For 1898, the revenue was estimated at 91,375,000 francs and expenditure 89,340,000 francs.