Ursuline Convent – Recruiting for the King of Grapeshot – The “Bürgergemeinde” – Commission on a Common Customs Tariff

Friedrich Engels (1848-12-14)

** Bern, 9 December. The last convent in the Canton of Bern, that of the Ursulines in Pruntrut in the Jura, is nearing its end. The Government Council has resolved to propose to the Grand Council its dissolution, in execution of the decision of the Diet excluding from Switzerland all orders affiliated to the Jesuits (to which the Ursulines also belong).

After Radetzky again permitted the Neapolitan-Swiss recruits passage through Lombardy, King Ferdinand immediately again requested permission for recruiting in Switzerland. Lucerne and the original cantons have naturally been quick to permit the recruiting; the Bernese government, to which the capitulations are in any case a thorn in the side, has fortunately found a pretext to forbid it for the time being. It explains, namely, that according to the capitulation (which is a legacy of the praiseworthy government of Herr Neuhaus) the recruits would have to go via Genoa, a route which is still blocked to them even now; and further, that the Neapolitan government must first compensate the Swiss in Naples for the damage inflicted on them on 15 May by plundering, etc. The God-fearing “Beobachter” is, of course, once again dreadfully scandalised at this breach of inviolable Swiss loyalty, which, moreover, blocks a glorious career (!) for a mass of brave young cantonal citizens, compromises the future prospects of the Bernese soldiers in Naples, allows the recruiting NCOs present in Bern to starve, and reduces the income of the innkeepers with whom the bounty money used to be boozed away. Such are the arguments with which the reactionary Swiss press fights!

The local old-style patricians have suffered a serious defeat. Here there exists what is called a burgher commune within the actual commune. This burgher commune, the core of which is formed by the patriciate, has, despite all revolutions, enforced that the former monastic estates and other state and municipal domains which belonged to it as the former holder of sovereignty, did not pass with sovereignty to the state or the city, but remained with it as collective property. Only a small part of these very considerable estates, on which the patricians still fatten themselves today, is to fall to the city; but the “burghers” have always refused to hand it over. Now, at last, through the designation of Bern as the federal capital and the considerable municipal expenditure this has made necessary, the burgher commune has been forced to hand over its share to the municipal commune, the so-called inhabitants’ commune, and also to commit itself to a “sizeable” contribution to the costs of the federal capital. The patricians declare Zion to be in danger, and they have reason to, for the federal capital threatens their purse most seriously.

The Federal Council, under the chairmanship of the head of the Department of Trade and Customs, Herr Näff, has formed a commission to prepare the abolition of the cantonal duties and the establishment of a Swiss customs tariff, and to propose the necessary measures. Switzerland will now also obtain protective tariffs, which may not be high, but, given the developed state of most Swiss branches of industry and the low wages, will fully achieve their purpose. England, Paris, Mulhouse and Lyons will suffer most from this.