[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."] Sin,—The following opportune
and instructive letter from Sir Frederick R. St. John, formerly our Minister in Berne, appears in the issue of the Isle of Wight County Press for the
5th inst.—I am, Sir, &c., X.
" Sis,—With an experience of eight years in Switzerland, as British Minister, I venture to give you a few particulars respect- ing that most successful institution the 'Referendum' or appeal to the electorate, which has been resorted to whenever circum- stances required ever since the year 1848. Any laws passed by the two Chambers may be subjected to a Referendum at the request of 30,000 electors and rescinded. Any law can be initiated at the request of 50,000 electors. Two consecutive days are appointed for polling. Every elector is furnished with a special stamp which he affixes to the voting paper handed him at the polling-place, and having drawn his pencil through either of the two printed words ' Yes' and ' No,' he drops the ticket into the voting-box. Nothing could be simpler—no meetings, no speeches, no canvassing, nor trade disturbance whatever. I was in Switzer- land when the great question of nationalisation of the railways was submitted to a Referendum, and no stranger passing through the country could have noticed any special occurrence. There is manhood suffrage in Switzerland, and 800,000 electors. The cost of a Referendum is about £1,000. Under similar conditions in these Islands, with an electorate of about 7,000,000, the expense of a Referendum should be under £9,000.—Yours obediently, F. R. ST. Joux."
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