NON-PARTY GOVERNMENT IN SWITZERLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 14

NON-PARTY GOVERNMENT IN SWITZERLAND.

• / [Foe Tin Dominion.] i[Br the Rbv. Feedehios Stubbs.] I Berne, June 28, 1909. / Ab I • started on my long European tour, j ... • aji Australian . " Alple Editor" suggestod | I that it would be of interest to the -people of .i . 7 Now Zealand and Australia if I included in | i the present series a short , description of the i - v, unique non-party -.system of •• government. that I /:■:/■• prevails in >Switzerland, andiso I at Berne, the picturesque capital, trying to • r- comprehend . the interesting, but , somewhat ■■ i.-V complicated,' subject assigned me, and to give an intelligible account of it to others." One. ' . :thing-that',makes l the..Swiss system of governmeot worthy of study, is that Switzerland | / ia acknowledged to bo a well-governed > coun-1 . : try—happy, prosperous," and (though -not rich) contented; with excellent roads,- Lwellbtiilt towns,' ample security ,of person and property, and a. noteworthy'absence of law- . lessness al!d: destitution. -:! do not think it I ... .would be.iust to put-all these N good, things! . down ;to the credit of tho form of . govern-1 ment jadopted; •at the - same time . a system i . cannot be very bad where such happy social I .. r and political conditions - ■ •'/ - ' | . . Switzerland is only a .small country, not | 'larger, than Province,of Auckland. Its | population is only 3} millions. . ■ But it is | divided \ into 22 semi-independent. States' or | './ ■ Cantons,, each, of which has its own:Constitu-1 • speoial laws; its own legislative, .i executive,: and judicial, authority; -and all' of ■' which 1 are united m,a Confederation, with -a j . ■: oentral Parliament at .Th 6 duties and I powers of the Provincial:and Federal Govern-1 . -ments'; and Parliaments are, of'Course_, care-1 s;;' fully defined. The supreme: authority, is .'with I / - Federal 'Parliament,, which ■ takes ■ care i :/M-// L thai;: pK .limits ,of i caiitonal.; wvereignty. are •not exoeeded. At the samo.timo the Cantons ...have .complete authority - in provmoial mat- . ters, and tso there is : to: be found m t-he cantons .an:-intense local:-, patriotismandv; - - jealousy-'--of: combined/ withij , .loyalty..- to., the Federal' Government and a /. .determination to support it.. .. Cantonal Government, , ' ' First, let us deal with tho Cantons/ In .. thesethere is <v remarks bio diversity of race, custom, ; religion,' and language. No fewer I than; four languages aro spoken—Gerlnan, 1 :- v ' French,'. Italian,: ■ and-i (by ■-a fow)' the old i .Romance. • German,'however, is predominant i and seems to: -be understood everywhere; « Roman; Catholics and Protestants are about • equal,, and -there .does not appear- to bo any 1 . ecclesiastical friction." The Cantons '-vary 1 .-.very i'much 'in size, population, and- govern-/ . : -•ment.-; A large majonty have a legislatureconsisting of a -.single, chamber/called tho -i; Great, Council, tho members of which are . chosen by universal suffrage for penods rang- ;■ • > ine .from two; to five years: The work ofVtho • > > :. Legislature is to. pass 'laws, vote -taxes and 'appropriations, ana supervise the admimstra- . -.. .tion.,y.fEaoh • Canton also decides for/itself -• of-religion shall be the State re. • ligion, • In nine Cahtons..tho Roman Catholic ./" ;■ ,-■ is -adopted ;-m six ' /both'/'-'Protestant and Roman, in five there ar«> thrce churches Ve- 1 ...v..- -cognjsed . by ~the -.State^allr : these are ■ sup-/ ported; by the public.treasury. I now have - to dearl with one- of the' most interesting . features of Swiss government. - > .

The 'initiative and Referendum. Every Canton but-one!recogniscS the'right of ;.;tho ,people:.by.popular,.vote Oo "■ use the the? Constitution^ ' or; in l ordinary;legislation. That is, if a cer-.: ; i tain of .the. people desire to seoa-<•--rv measure introduced, .the Government lias no ,v.:■ option;but to.'submit- tho question to a' re-. of the people. As a matter of- . ■ ' this power is hardly over used • But .t it is different with , the", Referendum.' . : This, has frequently been used both in. regard ,ito . Cantonal and Federal measures. •In re- 1 gard, : t-o the Cantons, in all constitutional.. •\y theio .must/bo a Keforendvjm, j?,v ■; ant^ifli: the <■ doMain'i of/-ordinarylegislation' ' , : the?e..<is State m which it ls'not . 'Tecogmsed in isome form. It is compulsory ■• , ■ ln.the case.of every law in 9i Cantons ;in 6J it is>..-pennißSible.; and*-in:-!2; compulsory, in ; allfinancial questions 1 ; ,; The rvotinfusually , • I; takes placeman.a ,Sunday. 'In Zng citizens: . : > can, secure a Referendum ;in Basle 1000; in - Geneva '2500; m -Ticino and: Lucerne-5000; i 1 ;i n Vand .6000. It will . thus ,bo seen that the spirit of the iCantonal' institutions de--.-finitelyand; practK»lly ; 'r«X)'gmses that the ',' . Sovereignty resides hot! in the officials, but. .: i in-the pcop]o,--aiid that 'this Sovereignty 15 . exercised .chreotly ,by the-electors, and sub- , ; ■ ordmately by , appomted officials... Before : a ■ law becomes .valid, it must, as. a. rule-be-en- ■ v. .dorsed ■by the ■ .vote of,- the people, and by . . : :: the,same power the people are'able to control . . the action of the ..Government. f' r - Tho Federal Parliament. .- u-And, yiow,; leaving tho*.22 provincial gof■ ' Vernnienta, let-,us oonsider •.. ;. -of the Central or Pederal .Government; This. -. <■ : ~consists. ;of a Legislature :or..!Fcderal ..As-" . sembly,:.an-:Executive,• and : .' a 'Judiciary, .1. ■ ..whilsti tho.;Assembly itself is divided into J .-. ... .two:! Houses,;: the 'National.-Council and the .', ■■ ■ , Council, of-.the States; vThe former ppssosses - 4.47 members elected every three years by '. universal suffrage: the.latter'.is a kind of :: • (Senate'... Each. Canton or "Stale' sends two . : members to the Council,, making 44 members as ;^-;:v.iin/aU|ffThe;Assei^ly ? meetß; twice, a;yearfof ; : V IpBi" wc^ksvritli'i an cjcciisibnal'' extra' " ■ *- fiessioii; The'fdob'ates .are: not " officially Ve-;. .r ■ i ported, .and onlyi-meagre accounts appear m the .newspapers,- . The proceedings' as I wit- ' nessed:.them ; from tho gallery seenwd. : • • business-hke,'and informal. . The two Houses- . :havo exactly equal powers: either can' intro- \■ dv'ce any measure, and conflicts between the'' • two seldom occur. . For three purposes the two Houses sit together, viz., to elect the ,-, Federal Council ana Commander-m-Chief; to . • '.e'xcrcise\the_ right of pardon; and .'to decide conflicts-of jurisdiction. ' Wa';Government:ar. i;: y'Executive"consists.-of/.seveh Members,'.'and'iis X. ; . 'clccted. by each new ■ Assembly at its 'first . ,v meeting.. .No- two men, 'however, 1 may be u • , elected .from the same Canton;: and it,is cus-: v: ; r;:r'S.\^omMy t tq allot:'sqme partyJwiich'is in a minority.' Each of.-these councillors '.-V ■, -' (we would call.lthem'--Ministers) presides over , a.;Mp^^;Sta^[l)epairtmerit/'ariS;''a?lie!is x '. , almost invariably ■ re-elected, usually retains ■'■i'ij.,;.the saino. office -year, after year. One of tho ; scveiii . is elected, each year to the v..- ,- supreme, office .of of the ;. Council,; andf .is x officially; recognised ;as; j. President.' .of • tjio. . Confederation. Another Councillor is at tho same time . :- : ;>^-;V-;^. > may hold I ■ the office for more than ono year..- The Vice- . .President usually becomes President. Tho J salary of the president is.£Boo por annum; i -' .other 'members; of. the Government receive' are .allowed: to pursue any I • other business -.whilst in office." -Tney do not i 'form part of the Assembly, but> appear there i '.' .'to. : m'aKe reports or propose measures. They , .< dobatorbut'do not vote. The duties of tho i Executive -arento. control.: foreign > affairs, i posts and. telegraphs, arsenals, the manu-1 .facture i and,sale of alcohol': to. report on all . legislative proposals; 1 and ,to inspect"and superviso generally;, but; it cannot prevent : the. Assembly meeting, nor: can it prorogue : : or dissolve it.; On the other hand, should -: its proposals be rejected it need not resign; v,'.y'f; :■ As I have shown, the 'Executive represents both the majority.and minority of tho members of .Parliament, and is therefore of '-Ja.; 1 . non-party character. It. is' not even • expected to bo .unanimous members of tho Government argue in the. Assembly against 7 ,'.... one..another. vNo. measure, .however, 'can be ..introduced which,has not received tno votes ,of the .other Councillors, but, this vote -being v . given the Bill may be: debated in' the House, . : . and the:: members of the'. Executive - speak either for or against it. ; .-vln- Now■: Zealand' or Australia it:would appear impossible that - : van. Executive - thus - composed or persons,-of Vj v ; : different political views could ever constitute ::a strong and efficient administrative body: it would be ospccted to spend its time 'in ■■ ' quarrels and fruitless discussions. Such, however, is not the case, it being recognised ..that each Councillor is simply, an.executive ■ official to caTTy out within his own Dntaii- . ment the -will of the Assembly and or the ' people. •, - •' ■ 1 ■ ■ The Initiative. I now come to the use of tho initiative in vFederal-affairs..-'.lt consists of a demand by 60,000 : voters for the addition of a new Artiv ■ sk to the' Constitution or tho repeal or

modification of oortain constitutional Artiolea already in force. If' the Fedoral Assembly approves, it. draws up a revision in the fienso of the petitioners and refers it. to, the Cantons ~for acceptance or rejection. 'If the Assembly does not approve of the proposal, the ; question of revision must be submitted <t9 .-a. voto of the people, and if, the vote be favourable the revision,must be undertaken by the Assembly. .When a domand is presented in the form of a Bill, and the Assembly approves, tho Bill is referred to the people. In case tho Assombly does not agree, it may-draft a Bill .of its own, or move that the people reject tho demand, and may ,then submit its own Bill, or its.proposal for rejection, to the votsvof .the peoplo at,the same time as the Bill of popular initiative. ' ' An. amendmeht mast hayo. the.;sanction both of a majority of the: voters and a majority of ■the 'Cantons/;.' But:-5p,000 -.whilst tliey may imtiate a constitutional change/cannot introduce a law. All ordinary 'legislation is initiated-in oneof the two directly-elected Houses; or in thO| Federal Council, or by the Cantonal Governments,' But these are subject to an optional referendum, So much for the initiative, Whioh, is seldom resorted to, and has proved of no great advantage. : .-

Tho Referendum.*-'"' Th(J Referendum, however, as applied to -Federal Laws,' has been, used freely by : ;: .the -people. ,v During / the - twenty-one years ";'following.; : it's,' introduction in.]'lßY4; 'the requisite '. number of voters . petitioned vfor- the !■ Referendum -in the case of 20,'out;of',182 laws, ;'and, of/these 20,-..the people -rejected '14,- artd ratified 6. Tho law" as applied to Federal affairs. is as follows If : a foribal demand- by 30,000 . citizens.'or 'eight - Cantons, is-' received . withinthree, monthsiaf.ter-'a/.laFi.! '.passed-:the Cbam--■bers,' tii© : new law--must be, submitted' to' ; the 'p.eople by means ' 1 qf the ..Referendum,, tho -, result being - determined .by -a majority of the actual/voters. . The Referendum: thus acts as'a check on bßth Parliament and Government associates : the' people with the;wbrii. of . government; .increases interest in' and respect for,, the: lawsand affords' a peaceful test in- closely-contested issues.. ..In England and Australasia'. the voters express /. their .opinions;; in Switzerland" they - are; able;/'riot :on]y«toVexpress*!them; but to give effect to them. They can. force into .legislation any Jaw ithey i V- : wanjb/. i ..can , prevent-:tiie .operation'-of;.-.any.! ,d'o. riot:' want;Germany is governed by a bureaucracy ; .'Great ;-Britain:-aiicr/the';United States - .'by; party.managers;. Switzerland .by the,people thenisolves through laws, and officials whom' they control. ,In other countries, a Parliament may be elected on one issue, ;and proceed .to legislate on another; in Switzerland this is- impossible, as is also polifc'fcal' cor-' ruption.. 'Xhoro are certain .subjects, howcvorj-- withheld, ;by'^ustom : ' from:-.tne: Referen/dum||j ;. treaties . with foreign''•-■States, . ; FWeraT:.nnancej, appftpriations 1 for \war;..ma.teriali' administrative disputes, and subsidies, for. urgent" public; .works. -■ .. - ' : *! Another ' interesting feature of _ ttieVjSwiss' system is; its. detachment from party.-.'Eyery measure/ is' -, considered' upon its \lf, .a'.-:majority ■ of . the -House .'consider'/it.us..,a good-one, it, is passed; if the .it/is rejected.. . But a rejection does not . mean that .the. Government .must: resign;;;or ! that ; Parliament .must be-dissolved/ /No/censure' is implied bv a hostile vote.'; It simply means_ that the people or the people's repre-* sentativea do ;noti think' the . measure .a. wise one/ and so it is dropped, and tho-attention of' Government and 'Parliament turned to another subject; Such a systemoo r government . (in 'no r n-party it : lines must, . I ain (sure, -most; peculiar, :ir not,, indeed'Triipracticable. = .'Andf-iyet: it works'Swelly and /is ; in', itselfby : irrational/ fit seemsj indeed, more irrational that, member's' of'-Parliament, should/be; ex-.' pected to vote fbr/ measjires of which' they 'do: not 'approvo, and even ,pledge; thehfselves to. measu'res : : not : yet framed, simply,oniparty. ;, and: Judges-- are ;.:n6.t-"ex-pected :;tb-ipMge-:their ~;verdict before :hear- :■ nig :;thej:\evideiice, J arid yet this . is; what is expected.'in''-English-speaking countries ■ ibf' a' flan..: ...He. votes fof' a, measure," not because it is. a good measuro! (though iriti/ihay/'be! that)>.i-but simply' iiinter(?sts ~of.rhis-.,party demand itj' -and on same..grpunds he, would be just as;-ready to 'vofo-against 'it": 'Nor; does it.'sefem'vto a plain man quite reasonable that a Government should {resign .simply,, because..one. of -its ;proposals*:is irej&ted'yby inJfcyodti|^-'.-39-Vgoo<i^'ana^-acceptable/.nieasures; ought -' it. to -'be - destroy&l-. on' ■.account"; of. tl\e fortieth P. .'And/so under, the present, system' a -Government' is compelled' to put party interests the interests of tlic people,. or/'eVeri,.national security,'"niay 'be. But I. niust not suffer'myself . to .be led .'into a .general '.discussion; on, methods of. government: •• Suffice, it. to .say that in.: Switzerland at all ..events', the • non-pnrty ' system:- has proved-a success. 'Xhe people are contented ■"ft^*4. J machinery works smoothly; officials are selected on; their is unknown; : the country ,i 3; steady .in;its .policy ;■ members:are free tq ■ vote/according ,'to: their 'convictions;, 'there are/no. 'crisesboth an id/private, members have . infinitely' less' :anxiety." and.--expense" in 'reference -to theirseats; ,aTid tho/cost of -government is the -lowegt>-jn^tlio;^jrojJd/'