[116] After the fall of the Empire the department of Neuchâtel, which had belonged to Prussia since the time of Frederick II., joined the Swiss Confederation as its twenty-first canton, though it remained under the suzerainty of Prussia. This ambiguous position led to a series of disturbances and struggles. In 1847 Neuchâtel refused to take part in the war against the Sonderbund, and was condemned to pay an indemnity of nearly half a million to the Confederation.
[117] Various anti-liberal attempts had been made between 1839-1840 in the Swiss Cantons of Tessin, Argovie, Valais, and Vaud. The Grand Council decreed the suppression of the convents. The Catholic Cantons protested and formed a league among themselves called the Sonderbund for the defence of their rights. The radical party regarded this movement as a violation of the constitution and declared war upon the Sonderbund, which was defeated in a desperate battle on the frontiers of the canton of Lucerne.
[118] The mother of Prince Heinrich Carolath-Beuthen was by birth Duchess Amelia of Saxe-Meiningen and was the aunt of Queen Adelaide of England.
[119] On the death of the Empress Marie Louise, in virtue of an arrangement made at Paris in 1817, Charles Louis of Bourbon, Duke of Lucca, took possession of the duchies of Parma and of Placentia. The duchy of Guastalla passed to the Duke of Modena who ceded the duchy of Lucca to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1848 the new Duke of Parma abdicated in favour of his son, Charles III., who had married Mademoiselle, the daughter of the Duc de Berry.
[120] Throughout the period of struggle in Switzerland, the Powers had constantly sent warnings to the radical party. France in particular threatened armed intervention, but the events of 1848 caused the abandonment of this project.
[121] Mademoiselle, daughter of the Duc de Berry.
[122] Madame Adélaïde died rather suddenly on December 31, 1847.
[123] Notwithstanding the victory of General Bugeaud at Isly, Abd-el-Kader, an energetic character, had contrived to continue the struggle in Algeria. In a final engagement, however, his most devoted adherents fell, and in 1847 he was obliged to surrender to General Lamoricière. Abd-el-Kader was kept a prisoner in France until the proclamation of the Empire. After Napoleon III. had set him at liberty he lived in Syria as a faithful and devoted friend of France.
[124] The Duc Pasquier.
[125] In the session of January 10, at the Chamber of Peers, M. de Barante, reporter to the committee, had read the proposed Address in reply to the speech from the throne. The proposal was vigorously attacked by the Comte d'Alton Shée who spoke for the dynastic party and had suddenly joined the opposition from the outset of the agitation for reform which preceded the revolution of February 1848. The Comte d'Alton Shée did not hesitate to express opinions entirely revolutionary, even while speaking in the Chamber and in this session he fulminated with all his eloquence against the foreign policy of M. Guizot, piling up accusations haphazard with reference to Portuguese, Swiss, and Italian affairs.