Switzerland attracts the attention of foreign powers; and it daily becomes more probable, that if the Swiss confederation be not fixed at that time, her constitution will no longer depend on herself, but her fate be determined without her participation." He then announces the intention of the Diet to return to Zurich on the 4th of September, in order to resume its deliberations on the following day, and take the necessary steps to obtain the guaranty of the independence of Switzerland at the general congress, and regulate its political interests.

The Diet having assembled at the time appointed, was not long in coming to a conclusion on this weighty point; and on September 8th made a decree, that the treaty of alliance between the nineteen cantons, of which the tenor was subjoined, should be signed and sealed as a true federal convention. The following are the most impor. tant articles of this compact. The cantons reciprocally guarantee each other's constitution, as accepted by the chief authorities of each canton in conformity with the principles of the alliance; and also their territories. For the maintenance of the guaranty, a contingent of troops is appointed to be raised, in a specified proportion for each canton, calculated at two men in every hundred, and amounting to a total of 30,006; which proportion is subject to revision in 1815. A contribution for defraying the expenses of war and of the confederation is next allotted for each canton, the whole sum being 490,507 francs; in addition to which, a federal treasury is established, to be supplied by duties on foreign goods,

not being articles of the first necessity. In case of danger, external or internal, each canton is entitled to claim the aid of the confederates; and all differences or claims between canton and canton, not provided for by the treaty of alliance, are to be decided by the confederation. No alliance is to be made between separate cantons unfavourable to the general confederation, or to the rights of other cantons. The confederation admits the principle, according to which, having recognized the 19 cantons, there is no longer any subject in Switzerland; whence the enjoyment of rights cannot any longer be the exclusive privilege of any particular class of citizens.

The Diet is to consist of nineteen members, one from each canton, every canton having a vote by its deputy. The business of the Diet is to take care of the affairs of the confederation. It declares war, makes peace, concludes alliances with foreign states, but in these important matters two-thirds of the voices are requisite for a determination; in others, a majority. It also decides on treaties of commerce. It names envoys from the confederation. The cantons may severally contract treaties to furnish soldiers, and other minor engagements with foreign powers, not infringing the general confederation. Such was the main substance of this compact, which was ratified by the agreement of a majority of the cantons, and on which the Diet received the congratulations of the ministers of the three allied powers. An union of Geneva, Neufchatel, and the Vallais, with the Helvetic body, was afterwards effected.

The

The restoration of the repub. lic of Geneva to a state of independence, was a consequence of the overthrow of French usurpation, which cannot fail of giving pleasure to all who have been interested by the moral and literary character of that eity. Occupied provisionally by the Austrian troops on their entrance into France, and burdened by the usual military requisitions, it was soon permitted to entertain hopes of a favourable change in its condition. On May 1st, the envoys extraordinary of their imperial and royal majesties addressed a declaration to the syndics and council of Geneva, in which, referring to an address presented by the citizens of Geneva on April 22d to the provisional council, expressing their wishes for the restoration of the republic, and its aggregation to the Helvetic body, they congratulate the Genevans on the accession of the provisional council to their desires. They affirm that the allied powers are desirous that the republic of Geneva, strengthened by a liberal constitution, and by a suitable increase of territory, should offer itself to Switzerland as a co-estate; for which purpose they advise that the provisional council should employ itself in preparing the plan of a constitutional act for the republic, the cantons being now engaged at Zurich in drawing up their federal compact; and they declare that Geneva shall be authentically acknowledged in the possession of its political rights, and of the territory which the allied powers intend to assign it.

The full concurrence of the court of England to this disposition of the other allies was made known on August 4th, by a note

to the provisional government transmitted by M. d'Ivernois from Mr. Stratford Canning, minister plenipotentiary from the Prince Regent to the Swiss Confedera tion. In this paper his Royal Highness expresses in the most obliging terms his friendly senti ments towards Geneva, and promises his efforts at the congress to bring to effect the purposes in its favour declared by his allies.

On August 18th, two companies of Zurichers arrived at Geneva to form its garrison; and on the same day was published the constitution of the Genevan republic. The fol. lowing are its most important articles. The Protestant religion is the predominant. There shall be at Geneva a church appropria ted to the Catholic worship; it shall be maintained at the expense of the state. The constitution recognizes neither patricians nor privileged classes. All the Gencvese are equal in the eye of the law. The liberty of the press is acknowledged, but every work must be signed. Should circum stances require it, the representative body shall have power to limit the exercise of that liberty. The legislative power is vested in a representative council, composed of 250 members, or 268, includ ing the syndics and council of state. The legislative council shall conform to the general laws of the Helvetic confederation; it shall possess authority to fix the taxes annually, to accept or reject treaties, to coin money, to appoint to the administrative and judicial of fices that are reserved for it, to regulate all matters relative to the ordinary and extraordinary diets, and to name the deputies to the latter. The representative council

shall

faction in the event, and grateful acknowledgments to his Royal Highness for his exertions in bringing it to effect.

On July 9th, an ordinance was issued by the Prince Sovereign, by which the people of the United Provinces were informed, that until the period of the restoration of the Dutch colonies, they would be permitted, in consequence of negociations entered into with the British government, to carry on commerce with the colonies (enumerated) in South America and the West India islands, upon certain conditions which followed. The first of these required the being provided with licences from the British ambassador at the Hague, and the remainder chiefly consisted in regulations for putting the trade on the same footing with that carried on between Great Britain and the same colonies.

In the grand settlement of Europe, which became the object of the allied powers after they had expelled from his throne the person whose ambitious plans had so long been employed in overthrowing all former barriers, and establishing his own irresistible predominance, there were few points more important, and at the same time of more difficult arrangement, than fixing the future condition of the ten Belgic provinces, usually distinguished by the name of the Catholic Netherlands Modern history is filled with the wars and negociations of which the disputed possession of these rich and fertile countries was the source; and to prevent them from falling under the dominion of France, and preserve them to the house of Austria, was a leading principle of the policy which formed the armed

confederacies in the reigns of William III. and Anne. When at length secured to Austria, they proved but an uneasy and unfruitful accession to that power, on account of their remoteness from the seat of sovereignty, the diver` sity of their interests, and the constitutional privileges of which they were justly jealous. The infraction of these privileges by the emperor Joseph, and the violence with which he urged ecclesiastical reforms altogether repugnant to the feelings of a people singularly attached to their religion, occasioned a storm of resistance and disaffection, which induced that sovereign to form plans for exchanging his dominions in the Low Countries for an equivalent in Germany; but, like the rest of his multifarious projects, they failed in the execution. These provinces were among the first conquests of the French in their revolutionary war; they had been declared integral parts of the French empire, which, by the occupation of the Seven Provinces, had obtained a most important addition in this quarter. When France was to be reduced to her former limits, and Holland restored to its pristine independence, the disposal of the Catholic Netherlands became a matter of immediate urgency. On the principle of restitution there could be no doubt that they reverted to the Austrian dominion; and we have seen that temporary possession of them was given to an Austrian general, as military governor. But the present emperor of Austria had the same reasons with his predecessor Joseph for wishing to get rid of a detached territory which had long been rather a

burden

burden than an advantage, and the future defence of which could only be secured by a strong and expensive line of fortresses. It is therefore probable that a change in the occupation of these provinces was early deliberated in the councils of the allied powers, though difficulties would occur in assigning their new possessor.

Hints had been thrown out in the public papers of the Low Countries, of an intended union of the ten provinces to the state with which they had the greatest natural affinity; but it was not till the end of July that matters were fully prepared for an open disclosure of the design, and the measures for bringing it to effect. On the 30th of that month, the Prince of Orange, sovereign of the Netherlands, came to Brussels, where he was waited upon by Lord Lynedoch and the superior officers of the English and Belgian troops, and had a long conference with the governor-general Baron de Vincent. On the next day, after attending divine service performed by a French clergyman, he gave audience to the members of the administration of the public boards, and the principal civil officers; and received addresses expressive of confidence and attachment. On August 1st, a proclamation was published by Baron de Vincent, in which he acquainted the people of Belgium, that the time fixed by the high allies for giving up the general government into the hands of the Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands being arrived, he was to take leave of them. He briefly dwelt upon the advantages that would accrue to them from that union with a people already connected with them by a common VOL. LVI.

origin, and common industry and virtues, which was destined by the general interest of Europe; and assured them, that it would be rendered indissoluble, and their new condition would be secured by the firmest guaranty that human power could give. On the same day an address to the Belgians by the Prince of Orange was published. After informing them that the allied sovereigns intended to give to Europe a political system which would assure a long period of prosperity and repose to its nations, his Royal Highness said, "The new destination of your beautiful provinces is a necessary part of this system; and the negociations which are going to be opened at Vienna will have for their object to cause it to be recognized, and to consolidate the extension of Belgium on a basis conformable to your interests, to that of your neighbours, and of all Europe." He then announced his being called to the government of their country during the short interval before this desirable union, and expressed his wish of being assisted by the most estimable characters among them, and his resolution to bend all his attention to their welfare. This change in the present administration and future prospects of the Belgian provinces seems to have been received with great satisfaction at Brussels, which enjoyed the expectation of becoming one of the capitals of the United Low Countries, and by the concourse of civil and military authorities and distinguished strangers, was daily resuming the splendor and gaiety by which it was characterized when the seat of an Austrian court. The country, as far as the [H]

Maese,