Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/875

* SWITZERLAND. .761 SITZEBLAND. ain, and Austria-Hungary. The United States sells very little to Switzerland, but its purchases of cotton cniliroiderios, silk goods, <'hi'<'so. and other Swiss products arc important. Switzer- land's trade with the United States in three voars amounted to: Imports from.. Export^i to $250,477 17,393,268 $2r)r.,:i60 16,799.100 $217,515 17,784,R5.i Transportation and Communication. In the absence of navigable river.s, the international tralKc is carried by the railroads. The main arteries are the lines from Lake Constance to Geneva and Basel, and from the north via the Saint Gotthard tunnel to Italy. There are 2490 miles of railroad, and under the law of 1S98 the State is acquiring the ownership of the entire system. Switzerland is noted for its admirable wagon roads. Navigation is important on the lakes, where 112 steamboats belonging to fifteen companies were plying in 1901. Banking. The 30 baid<s had, at the close of 1901, paid up capital amounting to $30,15.').000 ; note circulation, .$47,010,000; and cash on hand, $23,995,000. Banks of issue are under Govern- ment inspection; the notes of the 22 cantonal banks are secured by the cantons, and 10 of other banks by the deposit of securities. Government. The Constitution of 1848, with the important revision of 1874 and subsequent amendments of lesser importance, constitutes the present fundamental law of Switzerland. (For the methods of amending the Constitution, see Referendum.) The Swiss State is composed of twenty-two cantons., with Bern as the capital. The Constitution vests the executive power in a Federal Council of seven members elected for a term of three years by the two Houses of the Fed- eral Legislature. Any Swiss citizen who is eligi- ble to either branch of the Federal Legislature may be chosen to the Federal Council, except that not more than one member may be chosen from the same canton. It is the custom to choose members of the Council from the memliership of the Federal Legislature and to reelect them con- tinually for a long period of time. The work of administration is divided into seven departments, and one member of the Coimcil is put in charge of each department, but the act of any Councilor is considered to be the act of the Council as a whole. The Council is organized under a presi- dent (President of the confederation) and a vice- president chosen by the Federal Legislature from among the Councilors to serve for a term of one year. The powers and duties of the Federal Council are many and varied. In the domain of legisla- tion it plays an important part, although it has no veto upon the acts of the legislature. In this domain the Council sustains a relation to the legislature somew'hat like that of the Cabinet in the parliamentary system of government. It makes an elaborate report to the legislature, and although its members cannot at the same lime he members of the legislature, they have access to its sessions, take an active part in the delibera- tions, introduce legislative proposals, give their opinions upon various measures, and exert a great influence upon the work of legislation. It pre- pares the budget and advocates its adoption by the legislature, and takes the lead in the dis- cussion of all important measures introduced by the (iovernment. The Fe<leral Council also has a wide power of action in judicial all'airs. It has, for instance, the settlement of a large class of administrative controversies which in other Continental countries is intrusted to special ad- ministrative courLs. It has a large supervisory power over the cantonal administration, particu- larly when the cantons are engagi'd in admin- istering federal law. In addition to the above mentioned functions the Council has the other powers usually exercised by a nation's executive. The strictly legislative powers of the (Jovern- ment are vested in a Federal .ssembly {liundcs- versamriilunii), consisting of tw'o Ilou.ses, viz. the Xatioiuil Council {yutiunalrat) and the Council of Estates (Sliindcrul). The two Houses hold separate sessions in all legislative matters and joint sessions for the e.xercise of certain electoral^ and judicial functions. There is full eciualily between the two Houses in all matters wliatsoevcr. The Council of Kstates is composed of 44 members, or two from each canton. In three cantons which are divided, each half can- ton chooses one member. The tenure, amount of compensation, qualifications, mode of election, and the relations which they bear to their constituents are matters which the Federal Constitution does not regulate, but are left to the determination of each canton according to its own ideas with the result that the greatest variety of provisions prevails. The terms of mendjers vary from one to four years. The Council of Estates elects its own president and vice-president under the limitation that neitlier office can be filled from a canton which furnished the president for the session preceding. The National Council, or popular chandler of the legislature, consists of members chosen by direct universal suffrage for a term of three years. The Federal Constitution apportions the members of the National Council according to po|ndation on the basis of one re]iresentative for every 20,000 inhabitants. In those districts which choose more than one representative the memljers are chosen on a general ticket. The Coun- cil elects its own oHicers subject to the limitation that the president and vice-president must be chosen from the body of the Council and are in- eligible to succeed themselves for an ensuing term. The president, in addition to his vote as a member, has a easting vote in case of a tie. The nu'mbers of the National Council receive a com]iensation from the Federal treasury. The Federal Assemldy holds two regular sessions annually, beginning in .Tune and December, each lasting about one month. The disciissions take place in French. Gernnin. or Italian, according to the convenience of the speakers, while all formal readings occur in both French and German. The two Chambers meet jointly to settle conllicts of jurisdiction between the Federal authorities: to grant pardons; and to elect the Federal Coincil. the Supreme Court, the Chauccllnr. and the com- mander of the army. The ordinary legislative ])owcr of the Federal .ssend)ly is very wide and extends to many sul)jects which in the Unitnd .States are left to the regulation of the States. The judicial power of the Confederation is vested in a Supreme Court or Federal Tri-