1854 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 29 October 1854. The Radical Left remained the largest group in the National Council, winning 80 of the 120 seats.[1]

The 49 electoral districts

Electoral system

The 120 members of the National Council were elected in 49 single- and multi-member constituencies; there was one seat for every 20,000 citizens, with seats allocated to cantons in proportion to their population.[2] The elections were held using a three-round system; candidates had to receive a majority in the first or second round to be elected; if it went to a third round, only a plurality was required. Voters could cast as many votes as there were seats in their constituency.[2] In six cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden and Uri), National Council members were elected by the Landsgemeinde.

Results

National Council

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Radical Left59.580+2
Liberal Centre15.8160
Catholic Right14.314–2
Evangelical Right7.46–1
Democratic Left1.62–1
Dissidents1.42New
Total1200
Total votes236,760
Registered voters/turnout517,64145.74
Source: BFS, Gruner[3]

By constituency

ConstituencySeatsPartySeats
won
Elected members
Zürich 14Radical Left3
  • Alfred Escher
  • Georg Joseph Sidler
  • Heinrich Hüni
Democratic Left1Johann Jakob Treichler
Zürich 23Radical Left3
  • Jonas Furrer
  • Karl Adolf Huber
  • Hermann Stadtmann
Zürich 33Radical Left3
  • Rudolf Wäffler
  • Hans Heinrich Zangger
  • Heinrich Rüegg
Zürich 43Radical Left2
  • Rudolf Benz
  • Johann Jakob Ryffel
Evangelical Right1Paul Carl Eduard Ziegler
Bern 54Radical Left4
  • Jakob Karlen
  • Albrecht Weyermann
  • Samuel Friedrich Moser
  • Jakob Imobersteg
Bern 64Evangelical Right3
  • Friedrich Fueter
  • Eduard Blösch
  • August von Gonzenbach
Liberal Centre1Cristoph Albert Kurz
Bern 74Radical Left3
  • Johann Ulrich Gfeller
  • Karl Karrer
  • Johannes Bach
Evangelical Right1Gottlieb Rudolf Bühlmann
Bern 84Radical Left4
  • Johann Bützberger
  • Johann Rudolf Vogel
  • Johannes Hubler
  • Jakob Steiner
Bern 93Radical Left3
  • Jakob Stämpfli
  • Johann Rudolf Schneider
  • Johann August Weingart
Bern 104Radical Left4
  • Paul Migy
  • Édouard Carlin
  • Cyprien Revel
  • Xavier Stockmar
Lucerne 112Radical Left1Josef Bucher
Liberal Centre1Josef Martin Knüsel
Lucerne 122Catholic Right2
  • Philipp Anton von Segesser
  • Alois Kopp
Lucerne 133Radical Left3
  • Casimir Pfyffer
  • Josef Sigmund Bühler
  • Anton Schnyder
Uri 141Catholic Right1Florian Lusser
Schwyz 152Catholic Right1Karl Styger
Radical Left1Jakob Meinrad Hegner
Obwalden 161Catholic Right1Franz Wirz
Nidwalden 171Catholic Right1Melchior Wyrsch
Glarus 182Radical Left2
  • Caspar Jenny
  • Johannes Trümpy
Zug 191Catholic Right1Konrad Bossard
Fribourg 203Liberal Centre2
  • J. F. L. Engelhard
  • François-Xavier Bondallaz
Catholic Right1Alfred Vonderweid
Fribourg 212Catholic Right2
  • Louis de Wuilleret
  • Hubert Charles
Solothurn 223Liberal Centre2
  • Simon Lack
  • Johann Jakob Trog
Radical Left1Josef Munzinger
Basel-Stadt 231Liberal Centre1Johann Jakob Stehlin
Basel-Landschaft 242Radical Left2
  • Johann Bussinger
  • Stephan Gutzwiller
Schaffhausen 252Radical Left1Johann Georg Fuog
Liberal Centre1Franz Adolf Schalch
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 262Independent1Jakob Kellenberger
Radical Left1Titus Tobler
Appenzell Innerhoden 271Catholic Right1Johann Nepomuk Hautle
St. Gallen 282Radical Left2
  • Joseph Marzell Hoffmann
  • Wilhelm Matthias Naeff
St. Gallen 292Radical Left2
  • Josef Leonhard Bernold
  • Christian Rohrer
St. Gallen 302Radical Left2
  • Abraham Raschle
  • Benedikt Schubiger
St. Gallen 312Radical Left1Johann Matthias Hungerbühler
Liberal Centre1Johann Georg Anderegg
Grisons 321Evangelical Right1Johann Baptista Bavier
Grisons 331Liberal Centre1Andreas Rudolf von Planta
Grisons 341Radical Left1Georg Michel
Grisons 351Radical Left1Alois de Latour
Aargau 363Radical Left2
  • Friedrich Frey-Herosé
  • Samuel Friedrich Siegfried
Liberal Centre1Samuel Frey
Aargau 374Radical Left3
  • Johann Peter Bruggisser
  • Franz Waller
  • Gottlieb Jäger
Liberal Centre1Friedrich Schmid
Aargau 383Catholic Right2
  • Udalrich Schaufelbühl
  • Wilhelm Karl Baldinger
Radical Left1Augustin Keller
Thurgau 394Radical Left4
  • Eduard Häberlin
  • Johann Ludwig Sulzberger
  • Johann Georg Kreis
  • Johann Baptist von Streng
Ticino 403Catholic Right3
  • Leone de Stoppani
  • Giuseppe Filippo Lepori
  • Gaetano Luvisoni
Ticino 413Catholic Right2
  • Michele Pedrazzini
  • Ferdinando Cattaneo
Liberal Centre1Rocco Bonzanigo
Vaud 424Radical Left4
  • Jules Martin
  • Louis Blanchenay
  • Frédéric Fonjallaz
  • Édouard Cherix
Vaud 433Radical Left2
  • Charles Estoppey
  • Henri Druey
Democratic Left1Abram-Daniel Meystre
Vaud 443Radical Left3
  • Vincent Kehrwand
  • François Thury
  • Maurice-Benjamin Bonard
Valais 451Catholic Right1Alexis Allet
Valais 461Catholic Right1Antoine de Riedmatten
Valais 472Radical Left2
  • Adrien-Félix Pottier
  • Maurice Barman
Neuchâtel 484Radical Left4
  • Fritz Courvoisier
  • Alexis-Marie Piaget
  • Charles-Jules Matthey
  • Frédéric Auguste Zuberbühler
Geneva 493Liberal Centre3
  • Guillaume-Henri Dufour
  • Philippe Camperio
  • Jean-Jacques Darier
Source: Gruner[4]

Election re-runs

ConstituencySeatsDate of re-runPartySeats
won
Elected members
Ticino 40311 March 1855Radical Left3
  • Giacomo Luvini
  • Cesare Bernasconi
  • Giovanni Battista Ramelli
Ticino 41311 March 1855Radical Left3
  • Giovanni Jauch
  • Giuseppe Patocchi
  • Giovanni Battista Pioda
Source: Gruner[4]

Council of States

PartySeats+/–
Radical Left14–3
Liberal Centre140
Catholic Right100
Democratic Left1+1
Evangelical Right1–1
Independents2+1
Vacant2+2
Total440
Source: The Federal Assembly

References