I may here cite one or two examples of modern Constitutions which have laid down principles designed to secure religious equality.(88) Naturally Switzerland, with its population nearly equally divided into Catholics and Protestants, has been obliged to deal with this question, and so far as I am aware, it has done so with success. The principles of religious equality are embodied in the amended Constitution of 1874. I quote the chief provisions, because they are on the whole the most complete set of existing safeguards which I have found. “_Article_ 49.—La liberté de conscience et de croyance est inviolable. Nul ne peut être constraint de faire partie d’une association religieuse, de suivre un enseignement religieux, d’accomplir un acte religieux, ni encourir des peines, de quelque nature quelles soient, pour cause d’opinion religieuse. “L’exercice des droits civils ou politiques ne peut être restreint par des prescriptions ou des conditions de nature ecclésiastique ou religieuse, quelles qu’elles soient. “Nul ne peut, pour cause d’opinion religieuse, s’affranchir de l’accomplissement d’un devoir civique. “Nul n’est tenu de payer des impôts dont le produit est spécialement affecté aux frais proprement dits du culte d’un communauté religieuse à laquelle il n’appartient pas. L’exécution ultérieure de ce principe reste réservée à la legislation fédérale. “_Article_ 50.—Le libre exercice des cultes est garanti dans les limites compatibles avec l’ordre public et les bonnes mœurs. “_Article_ 54.—Le droit de mariage est placé sous la protection de la conféderation. “Aucun empêchement au mariage ne peut être fondé sur des motifs confessionels.” While declaring the principle of liberty of conscience, the Swiss Federal Constitution permits the cantons to give a privileged position to certain religious denominations; they may give them subsidies; they may invest them with certain prerogatives denied to other bodies less favoured. For example, in Fribourg, the Catholic and the Protestants are put on a footing of equality. Owing to the powers possessed by the separate cantons religious equality is not so complete as at first sight might seem. No serious difficulty appears to have been experienced in giving effect to the above provisions(89) which are not so complete as those found in the Home Rule Bill. III. SAFEGUARDS IN COLONIES I come to legislation which may seem of a kind more helpful and instructive than that of Continental countries. In the British Colonies there is no connection between the State and Church. The sole important exception is in Canada, where “the church can compel by law the payment of dues by Roman Catholics, and thus obtains great privilege from, while independent of, the State.”(90)