[Neue Rheinische Zeitung. No. 153, 26 November 1848. Second edition.]

Debate in the National Council

The Swiss National Council Session of 22 November 1848

** Bern, 22 November. In today’s session of the National Council, after a lengthy debate in which General Dufour delivered a distinguished speech in favour of Tessin, while all the other military men in the assembly (Ziegler, Michel, Benz, etc.) appeared with great animosity against Tessin, and after an excellent rejoinder by Pioda to all the attacks, the motion of the minority of the commission,
“to intern the *Italian* refugees who took part in the last uprising and to leave the execution of this decision to the government of Tessin”,
was rejected by a roll-call vote of 62 to 31, whereas the majority motions:
1) to expel all *Italian* refugees from the Canton of Tessin into the interior of Switzerland, subject only to the considerations dictated by humanity, on which the representatives of the *Confederation* shall decide,
was adopted by 62 votes to 31, and
2) to forbid the Canton of Tessin, until further notice, to permit *Italian* refugees to reside there,
was adopted by 50 votes to 46. The two Zürich men, Escher and Furrer—the latter, setting the whole weight of his office as President of the Federal Council against Dufour’s noble chivalry and virtually posing a cabinet question—decided the matter through skilful influence upon the German Swiss. The 31 votes for Tessin were, with 5–6 exceptions, all *French* Swiss. During the roll-call one heard only “oui” and “Nein”, not a single “non”, and only five or six “Ja”. The Romance-speaking part of Switzerland has been crushed by the Germans.

The remaining points of the majority motion, to which the minority (Mr Pioda) has also adhered, are now being adopted. The sitting and the post close simultaneously. More on this interesting debate tomorrow.