nd their money at Basle are
retrenching, not from motives of economy, but from feelings of ill will.
The burghers, who have country seats, to which they retire during the
summer, have abandoned them, and if any one wished to settle in this
canton, they might purchase them for half their value. The reason is,
that there has been a difference between the town burghers and the
country people. The canton wanted a reform bill to be passed, in which
they have not succeeded. They required a more equitable
representation--the country people amount to about forty thousand, the
town of Basle to only ten thousand; and the town of Basle, nevertheless,
returns two-thirds of the council, which governs the canton, to which
the people who live in the country have raised objections. Hence the
variance; and to punish the country people by not spending their money
among them, the burghers have abandoned their country houses."

It may not, perhaps, be generally known, that at the time of the three
days at Paris, there was an _emeute_ in Switzerland, in which the
aristocracy were altogether put down; and in Berne, and some other
cantons, the burghers' families, who, on pretence of preventing the
aristocracy from enslaving the count, had held the reins of power for so
long a period, were also forced to surrender that power to those who had
been so long refused participation in it. This was but the natural
consequence of the increase of wealth in the country: those who before
had remained quiet, feeling themselves of more consequence, insisted
upon their rights; and the usual results were, that the administration
of the government changed hands; but although this might be considered
as an advantage gained, still it was but a change, or rather an
admission of those who had become wealthy to a participation of the
advantages connected with the exercise of authority; a change beneficial
to a few, but to the _masse_, productive of no real advantage. At
Berne, to be a member of the government, is considered as a certain
source of wealth, a convincing proof that the interests of those who
hold the reins are not neglected; and that in a republic it is as
difficult to insure to the people their legitimate rights, as under any
other form of government. And so it will be as long as the world turns
round; man is everywhere the same exacting, selfish, preying creature;
and his disposition is not to be changed.

The Helvetic Republic is, in fact,