d’arrondissement_. The National Council at present consists of one hundred and forty-five members, apportioned among forty-nine electoral districts. The number returned from these districts varies from one to five members each. The Cantons of Uri and Zug, and the half-Cantons of Obwald, Nidwald, and Inner-Rhoden compose only one district each. Bern has six districts and twenty-seven members; Zurich, four districts and sixteen members. Every elector is entitled to vote for as many members as his district is entitled to, but not cumulatively. A federal census for the apportionment of representation is taken every ten years. Members receive a compensation of twenty francs per day (about $3⁸⁶⁄₁₀₀) when the National Council is in session,[31] and a travelling allowance of twenty centimes per kilometre (a fraction under .03 per mile). A member loses his _per diem_ if he does not answer the roll-call at the opening of the day’s session, unless he should appear later and give to the secretary a sufficient excuse for his dilatoriness. If subsequently, during that day’s session, there is a vote by roll-call (_appel nominal_), or if there is a count of the House to ascertain the presence of a quorum, the compensation of the members whose absence is disclosed is forfeited for that day. This law is not a “dead letter,” but is strictly enforced, and with a frugal-minded people tends to keep the members in their seats. The Council of States (_Ständerath_; _Conseil des États_). The space devoted to the Council of States in the Constitution is one-half of that given to the National Council, and is comprised within four articles: 1. The Council of States consists of forty-four representatives of the Cantons. Each Canton elects two representatives, and in the divided Cantons, each half-Canton elects one. 2. No member of the National Council or of the Federal Council may be at the same time a member of the Council of States. 3. The Council of States elects from among its members a President and Vice-President for each regular and extraordinary session. From among the representatives of that Canton from which a President has been elected for a regular session, neither the President nor Vice-President can be taken for the next following regular session. Representatives of the same Canton cannot occupy the position of Vice-President during two consecutive regular sessions. When the votes are equally divided, the President has a casting vote; in elections, he votes in the same manner as the other members. 4. Members of the Council of States receive compensation from their respective Cantons.