MORAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE SWISS IN our last

number we showed that the free trade system had been productive of commercial and manufacturing prosperity in Switzerland, notwithstanding the difficulties arising from the geographical position of that country, and the refusal of its more powerful neighbours to interchange commodities on the principle of reciprocity. It is our present purpose to show, by extracts from Dr. BOWRING'S Report, that the mass of the people are com- fortable in their circumstances, moral in their habits, and gene- rally well instructed. The competition which their manufacturers and merchants must withstand, if it has not preserved the artisans and mechanics from the misery which the protected weavers of Spitalfields, Macclesfield, and Manchester, have so often endured, has at least been the cause of no such wretchedness; for extreme poverty and distress is unknown in the country. In Switzer- land, at all events, the pretence of securing a decent subsistence to the operatives cannot be urged in favour of the prohibitory system ; for under the contrary policy the mass of the people are prosperous.

In the Canton of Neuchatel the wages of a man working in a

factor). are from 551. to 83/. per annum ; sufficient to maintain a moderate family in comfort where the necessaries of life arc cheap. In the following passage one of Dr. BOWRING'S informants states the prices of provisions in Neuchatel.

" The habits of living are, in general, very simple. It is customary to make

three meals a day, two of which (in the morning and evening) consist of coffee, milk, potatoes, &c. ; at dinner, meat and vegetables, and, for those who can afford it, wine. Although the country is far from producing the articles neces- sary for its consumption, yet the roads are so good and the communications so easy, that, except in times of great scarceness, the prices of pi °visions are, in general, very moderate. The loaf of white bread is from 15 to 20 centimes (21. to 21d. ), meat from 30 to 37 centimes (4d. to old.), butter from 75 to ISO centimes (91d. to 10d.) the pound of 17 ounces ; the measure of potatoes,

m weighing fro 3 i

3 to 34 pounds, s worth from 75 centimes to 1 franc (10d. to ls. lid.); milk from 10 to 12 centimes ( lid.), and wine from 35 to 45 cen- times the bottle (5d. to Gd.)"

In Schaffausen, it is stated, "the working classes live as well and in some respects better than those in the other parts of the Continent : in addition to this, in ordinary times they can lay by considerable savings."

"Mendicity is forbidden. The communes are obliged to support those poor

who have the claim of citizenship. There is no general list made of paupers who receive assistance from public establishments, as the clergy are not obliged to give any account of the way in which the parish funds are expended. In fact, in the towns there is nopoor's-tate, as, up to the present time, the public institutions charitable societies, and private charity have amply sufficed. " It is only during any great distress that the Government interfaes, in order

that the extraordinary assistance necessary may be prompt and efficacious. In the country there is a sort of poor's-rate to make up the deficit of poor's funds for the support of hospitals and education of the poor. The tax amounted to two-fifths per thousand on the survey of landed property. It is only levied when the revenues of the establishments and private donations are insufficient for the ordinary expenses.

"A savings bank has been established twenty-five years : in 1834 its capital amounted to 053,000f. No individual is allowed to put in more than GM. per annum. It allows three per cent. interest. But there are also other establish- ments, under the inspection of the municipal authorities, for the safe employ- ment of very small sums. It is observed that women put more money into the savings bank than men, and servants more than workmen : the great ambition of these last is to become owners of houses, even when they have very little money, as they find no difficulty in borrowing at moderate interest. "The Government does not allow any lottery or games of chance."

Zurich appears to be one of the most flourishing of the Swiss Cantons. The workmen who reside in the town of Zurich or its neighbourhood are the best-instructed.

" Habits of economy are pretty general among them ; and the higher wages which they Cain in the town are of late rather influencing them to deposit their i economies n savings banks than to invest them in land, as was much their ambition before, when the pastoral and manufacturing life were so constantly blended. Musical talent is most extensively cultivated. Song is taught in all the elementary schools, and numerous societies of singers exist. In the even- ing and at night, as they return home from their labours, or from their festi- vities, they usually sing in chorus until they separate. Music is a most popular art, and has been pursued with great ardour in the canton of Zurich. The manufacturing population are well dressed, their houses are cleanly and com- fortable; and the French weavers, who have lately settled in Zurich and its vicinity, spoke with great satisfaction of the advantageous contrast of their present with their past position. I am informed the demand for newspapers is exceedingly fluctuating among them : in times of calmness, and when no inte- resting political events are occurring, the sale of journals is singularly dimi- nished ; it rises o ith great rapidity when excitement prevails in the public mind, and when circumstances occur either at home or abroad which 'awaken the attention of the people.

"Associations are obtaining more and more among the working classes. Be-

nefit societies especially have, during the last ten years, been much increased in number. There was formerly a far greater contrast than now exists, both as to the morality and the instruction of the inhabitants of town and country. There was a time when in the prisons of the canton there were ten peasants to one burgess: the proportion now is much reduced, and the lists of cri lll Mats exhibit only three persons from the open country to one inhabitant of the town. Illegitimate births have sensibly decreased. Though accurate statisti- cal tables have not been completed, the Governtnent assured me that the dimi- nution was at least from six per cent. to four per cent., or from one iu seven-

teen to one in twenty- five." .

The government of Zurich insures the whole canton against losses by fire, imposing a rate for that purpoe calculated on the contingencies of the year. The premium seems to be about the same as that charged generally by English insurance-companies on an average of the various risks.

" A commission is appointed by the Government, who publish an annual detailed account of all the losses sushined. There were fhrty- four tires in

1833, bringiug with them losses to the amount of ft. 86,591 Its 1—say 8 a00/. ',Ma I I 11g. While the costs of the administration amounted to I. 2.708 14 2, or about 270/. sterling. This expense iusured all the buildings of the canton, .which are Chtintated at a Vahle of sevenry.seven millions of thnins—Ki1V SeITIO 111:11101Is aud time-quarters sterlino., beitig at the rate of 2s. la. per 100/. In the annual report which is made rry the insurance commission, the year, day, and lour of every fire are reportud, the name of the village, town, or district, of the injured party, and a description of the nature of the buildings burnt or destroyed. Ever y building in the canton is repotted, and the number which it beats in the registtation turd the 1•,titilated value is also reported, with the extent of damage and causes of the fire."

Persons guilty of carelessue,.s causing fires, as well as of wilful burning, are punished by the tribunals.

Dr. BOWRING furnishes a table, by which it appears that, on an average of eight years, the inhabitants of Paris consumed daily 66,471,400 pounds of animal food, or rather more- than three ounces to each individual ; whilst in Geneva the consumption was nearly seven ounces per head. The wages of male servants are about 13/. per annum, of women 6/. to la

" As to the wages of the working classes, in the manufacture of watches, jewellery, or goldsmith's work, almost every thing is done by piece-work, and not for daily wages ; on whieh account it is difficult to form an estimate of their earnings, because this sill depend in a great measure on their relative skill and industry, or on the nature of the branch which they foliose, and also the longer or shorter space of time which they devote to their labour. Watch- makets may earn from '70 to 190 fr ores of France per month : makers of musi- cal boxes from 120 to 280 &aims of France; those %vim do the engine-turning

(yaillochears) from 96 to 280 francs of France; some of the workmen who make the movements (parties vu, Les) may earn from 3 to 5,1 francs per day ; others from 23 to 50 sous of France per day ; those works which fall to the

shale of the women are of the latter class. Sonic workmen engaged on simi- lar work will earn three or four times as much as others. No less than 20 to 25 francs per day are sometimes gained by skilful hands. "In occupations unconnected with the manufacture of watches or jewellery, working locksmiths may be reckoned to earn from 2 to 5 francs of France per day, and cabinetmakers front 30 to 65 sous of France. "A spirit of prudential economy and foresight appears to be gaining ground amongst the population of Geneva."

The Swiss have taken care to provide themselves with religious and moral education—the former at a cheap rate. The Legisla- tive Assembly of the Canton of Thu rgovia have published an Education Report annually since 1831; when the extension of the popular suffrage was followed by extraordinary efforts for the diffusion of knowledge.

" Every child, on reaching the age of five years' must be sent to school. Of the whole proceeds of the land. tax two-fifths have been applied to the expenses of

education. There is a general law that there shall be such a provision, not only of elementary but of second-class schools ; that no inhabitants of the canton shall be removed more than one league and a half from the means of instruc- tion. A normal school for the education of teachers established at Kreutz- lingen, in 1833, under the superintendence of M. Wehrle, a pupil of Fellenberg, has had great success, not only in training youths in the art of teaching, but in

reeducating, as it were, already existing schoolmasters. By an arrangement

with the neighbouring canton of St. Gall, twenty-five students are received for education from that canton into the Kreutzlingen establishment. Funds are cheerfully and liberally voted by the Legislature; and I was informed by the

President of the legislative body, that public opinion exercised an absolute pm- sure upon the Government in favour of general education, and that the desire to

extend its benefits and to improve the character of the instruction became stronger every day. In this matter there was a concurrence and a cooperation of all opinions. The subject of law reform has begun to excite much attention. The incompetency and the numerousness of the tribunals are complained of; and the want of a code more condensed and defined, so that all the laws may be known to all the citizens."

The instruction given in the schools of Thurgovia is of a supe- rior description to that which forms the staple of the education in the English BELL and LANCASTER systems.

"The last law on the snliject of public education was passed in 1835. It provides that grammar, reading, writing, arithmetic, common accountancy, singing, geography, history, and morals, shall be taught in all the elementary schools. It divides the insuuction into summer and winter courses, for the convenience of the agricultural population ; a course consisting of thirty-two weeks, and a week of twenty seven hours of instruction. The priest of every parish is, by (owe, a visiter of all the schools, and is charged to report to the Sal oh Committee of the district any violatioa of directions of the Government.

Masters are appointed after examination by the District Education Committee ; they are considered as servants of tile State. The materials for education, such

as books, slates, stationeiv, &c. are furnished by the school funds. There is nothing to compel a parent to send a child to the school of his own district, but the State requires that every child should be educated somewhere or other."

The superior schools receive youths of from twelve to fifteen whose course of instruction is much extended.

"The course is of three years' duration. Independently of morals, language, arithmetic, geometry, geography, history, and the legislation of the country, in- struction is given in natural history, the agricultural and manufacturing arts, music, calligraphy, and in some eases the modern languages. Twenty-eight hours per week are marked out for instruction. The superior schools are accessible to all after examination ; the boys and girls being taught either in separate apart- ments, or at different times. The yearly payment fixed by law is 18 fl. (30s. stetling) for boys, aud 12 fi. for girls; but the School Committee have the power of introducing the children of poor parents to gratuitous instruction. a, here is a provision that there shall not he less than sixteen to eighteen second- ary schools in the canton, and that they he so fixed as to be accessible to every family within a maximum distance of one league and a half. The State grants to each, if required, 200 ti., and has fixed the salary of the teachers at 400 fl., or 34/. sterling, in addition to a house, which, as well as school .room and fire, are to be provided by the locality." The other cantons are certainly not behind Thurgovia in the exertions made to render their citizens worthy of exercising the political power which the democratic constitution of the country bestows upon them. When we reflect on the noble efforts of these mountaineers to improve their morals am! cultivate their minds, how paltry dt.es the Education grant of 20,000/. from the British Parliament appear! The time perhaps is not far distant when the people of this country u ill possess as decided a control over the Government as is now held by the Swiss over the Assemblies of the;r respective cant :its ; but it is an absolute certainty, that unless greater and more sys:ematie elf,,rts are made to render the masses capable of a discreet exet eise of their inevitable power, danger will arise to the sound as well as vicious portions of our institutions, and hasty legislation retard the growth of national peosperi•y for an indefinite time. The Report futnishes some information respecting the cost of religious instruction in the Swiss Cantons ; hut this subject has so close a connexion with the political institu:ions of the country, that we shall defer its eonsideration till another opportunity, when the made in which the people act so effectually on their Government will be explained.