Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1410

 1288

SWITZERLAND

entirely on the canton. Three of the cantons are politically divided- Basel into Stadt and Land ; Appenzell into Ausser Rhoden and Inner Rhodcn ; and Unterwald into Obwald and Nidwald. Each of these parts of cantons sends one member to the State Council, so that there are two members to the divided as well as to the undivided cantons. The * Nationalrath ' consists of 167 representatives of the Swiss people, chosen in direct election, at the rate of one deputy for every 20,000 souls. The members are paid from Federal funds at the rate of 20 francs foi each day on which they are present, with travelling expenses, at the rate of 20 centimes {2d.) per kilometre, to and from the capital. Members employed on commissions receive additional pay at the same rate. On the basis of the general census 1910, the cantons are represented m the National Council as follows : —

Canton

Number of

Represen-

•tatives

Canton

Number of

Represen-

tative.s

Ziirich (Zurich) Bern (Berne). Luzern (Lucerne)

Uri

Schwyz .... Unterwald — Upper and Lower .... Glarus (Glaris) Zug (Zoug) Fribourg (Freiburg). Solothurn (Soleure).

25

32

8

1

3

2

2 1 7 6

1]

2

Appenzell — Exterior and

Interior St. Gallen (St. Gall) Graubiinden (Grisons) Aargau (Argovie) Thurgau (Thurgovie) Ticino (Tessin) Yaud (Waadt). Yalais (Wallis) Neuchatel (Neuenburg) Geneve (Genf).

4

15

6

12

7

8

16

6

7

8

Basel (Bale) — town and

country Schaffhausen (Schaffhouse)

Total.

189

A general election of representatives takes place by ballot every three years. ° Every citizen of the Republic who has entered on his twenty- lirst year is entitled to a vote ; and any voter, not a clergyman, may be elected a deputy. Both chambers united are called the ' Bundes-Versamm- lung,' or Federal Assembly, and as such represent the supreme Government of 'the Republic. The lirst step towards legislative action may be taken by means of the popular initiative, and laws passed by the Federal Assembly may be vetoed by the popular voice. Whenever a petition demanding the revision or annulment of a measure passed by the Legislature is presented by 30,000 citizens, or the alteration is demanded by eight cantons, the law in question must be submitted to the direct vote of the nation. For the decision of the question submitted a majority both of the cantons and of the voters is required. This principle, called the refere7idum, is frequently 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 i» the Confederation 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