In 1476, the Borne.. and their confederates, having defeated Charles the Raab (who was joined by James of Savoy) at Granaon and Morat, overran the Pays-de-Vaud, took and pillaged Lausanne, and finally detached the eastern districts of Bex, Aigle, and °moats, which were incorporated with Bern, and those of Morat, Granson, and Orbs, which were administered as common bailiwicks subject to both Bern and Freyburg. In 1536 the Bernese made themselves masters of the whole Pays-de-Vaud, which soon after embraced the doctrines of Calvin.
The Pays-de-Vaud was divided for the purpose of administration into fifteen bailiwicks, the baillis, or governors, of which were ap pointed by the government of Bern. Several of the old noble families were inscribed among the patricians of Bern, and thus obtained a share iu the government of the whole canton. All the rest of the population were subjects of Bern. But the communes had their own councils, and appointed their local officers and magistrates. In 1793 the French directory imperiously required Bern to restore the Pays de-Vaud to its independence. Meantime popular assemblies were formed in the Pays-de-Vaud, countenanced by a strong body of French troops assembled along the frontier. The council of Bern acted with indecision, the French troops entered the Pays-de-Vaud, and that fine country was lost to Beru for ever. In 1803 it was constituted as a sovereign canton of the Swiss coufederation by Bonaparte's Act of Mediation. Napoleon I. beiog overthrown in 1814, the Act of Media tion fell with him ; but in the Federal Pact, established by the allied powers in 1815, Vaud was constituted a canton of Switzerland.
After the French revolution of July, 1830, several thousand Vaudois, armed with sticks, repaired to Lausanne, to oblige the council of state to convoke the assemblies of circles, for the purpose of appointing deputies to frame a new constitution. The council yielded a con stituent assembly to be convened, which framed a new constitution on the principles of equality of political rights and rotation of office, without any property qualification, which constitution was laid before the primary or communal assemblies, in June, 1830, and accepted. The members of the great council, or legislature, are elected by the assembliee of circles, one for each thousand inhabitants. All citizens of the canton, being bourgeois of a commune, who have completed twenty-three years of age, and are neither bankrupts nor paupers, nor iuterdieted, are possessed of the elective franchise. The members of the legislature are elected for five years. Candidates for seats must be twenty-five years old, citizens of the canton, and have their domicile in it. The great council meets twice a-year for about a month each time : its members receive a remuneration. It appoints the members of the executive, and those of the courts of justice.
There are primary schools in every commune, middle schools, or schools of industry, colleges, and lastly the Academy of Lausanne, sort of university, with fifteen professors and four faculties—theology, law, philosophy, and belles-lettres.