Volume 1

Switzerland / by William Beattie ; illustrated, in a series of views taken expressly for this work, by W.H. Bartlett.

Beattie, William, 1793-1875.

Date:: 1836

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Switzerland / by William Beattie ; illustrated, in a series of views taken expressly for this work, by W.H. Bartlett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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forms the great line of social and commercial intercourse with Coire, Wallenstadt, the lake of Constance, Germany on the right, the whole course of the Rhenish provinces to the ports of Holland, and, in a word, between the shores of the Levant and the German Ocean. The important question of opening this new pass, which had previously been only practicable for beasts of burden, was decided and acted upon in the course of 1816. Down to the period which, ten years prior to this, witnessed the completion of the great routes over Mont Cenis and the Simplon, the passes over the Brenner and Tende were the only media of transport upon which wheel-carriages could be employed. But now that peace was re-established, national prejudices subsiding, and a spirit of commercial enterprise revived, the Grisons, pursuing a line of policy which reflects the highest credit upon them, entered into engagements for carrying their plans into effect. As a con- tribution towards the expense of the enterprise, the canton of Tessin, whose interests were so completely involved in the success of the measure, agreed to advance two hundred thousand francs, and to charge themselves with the extra expense of completing and improving that portion of the route which connects the Grison frontier with Bellinzona. This liberal offer, however, was met by numerous interruptions and objections on the part of Austria, and every means employed to defeat a measure which, if once carried, could not fail most materially to diminish the amount of revenue collected on the Spliigen. Thus influenced, the Tessinese rescinded their previous engagements in due form, and now, obstinately blind to their own domestic prosperity, opposed with vigour what at first they had so warmly espoused. Similar experiments were tried upon the Grisons, but they — neither conciliated by flattery, nor intimidated by threats—were plain spoken on the subject, and stated, in terms not to be mis- understood, that should they be subjected to farther interruption in the prosecu- tion of a plan so obviously framed, not on selfish principles, but for the general encouragement of industry and commerce, they would retaliate by closing the route over the Spliigen—so far, at least, as it came within their jurisdiction. This argument of course ended the diplomacy: the works proceeded with alacrity under the direction of Pocobelli: a native company, formed after the English fashion, subscribed liberally in shares : while the Sardinian government continued to advance numerous subsidies during the progress of the works, besides permitting the free importation of grain into the Grisons.* * The people of the canton, who lived on the line of the projected road, advanced 60,000 Swiss francs; and the king of Sardinia, in whom the project found a ready advocate, by a Convention made in 1813 with the government of the Grisons, contributed 280,000 francs, a sum which was afterwards extended to A A