citizenship is once obtained, by birth or naturalization, it is not easily lost or set aside. In this the federal constitution determines the conduct of the Canton, and does not permit it “to banish one of its citizens from its territory, or deprive him of the right of citizenship.” The “right of township or origin,” the highest and firmest right of citizenship, is a sacred and imprescriptible right, which the constitution places above any power to take away or impair. By virtue of the constitutional authority of the Confederation, “to fix the conditions upon which foreigners may be naturalized, as well as those upon which a Swiss may give up his citizenship in order to obtain naturalization in a foreign country,” a federal law was enacted in 1876. It provides that “a Swiss citizen may renounce his citizenship if he has no domicile in Switzerland, and if he is enjoying fully all civil rights according to the laws of the country where he resides, and that he has already acquired citizenship in another country, or the assurance of its being granted for himself, his wife, and minor children. The declaration of renunciation is to be submitted in writing, accompanied by the required statement, to the cantonal government, which will notify the respective communal authorities, in order to inform such parties as are interested, and a term of four weeks is fixed for presenting objections.” The Federal Tribunal decides in such cases, where objection is made to the renunciation; and in event of no objection being made, or if made and judicially overruled, then the discharge from cantonal and communal citizenship is pronounced and entered on record. This discharge includes Swiss citizenship or denationalization, and dates from its issue and delivery to the applicant; it also extends to the wife and minor children, when they are domiciled or living together, and if no special exceptions be made in regard to them. The widow or the divorced wife of a Swiss citizen, who has renounced his nationality, and such children of a former Swiss citizen, as were minors at the time of such renunciation, may request of the Federal Council to be readmitted as citizens. This privilege will not be granted to the widow or divorced wife, unless the application be made within ten years after the dissolution of the marriage; nor to the children, unless made within ten years after attaining their majority. After the expiration of these periods, the parties in either case must acquire citizenship in the manner prescribed for aliens. The substance, indeed, the identical phraseology, of this law was anticipated by the Federal Council in its answer, made in 1868, to an appeal from the British government, relating to expatriation and naturalization. The Council closed its answer in these words: “The right of Swiss citizenship ceases only with the death or by the voluntary renunciation, by the person who possesses it, of his cantonal and communal right of citizenship, and by