The council-pensionary first set to work to have the treaty, from which the exclusion article had been cut out, ratified rapidly by the States-General, before bringing the secret article to the knowledge of the Estates of Holland.  The Estates adjourned for a recess on April 21, 1654.  On the following day he presented the treaty to the States-General, and such was his persuasive skill that he accomplished the unprecedented feat of getting this dilatory body to accept the conditions of peace almost without discussion.  On April 23 the treaty ratified and signed was sent back to London.  Only one article aroused opposition (Art. 32), the so-called “temperament clause”; but Cromwell had insisted upon it.  By this article the States-General and the Provincial Estates separately undertook that every stadholder, captain-general or commander of military or naval forces should be required to take an oath to observe the treaty.  Meanwhile De Witt had received a letter from Van Beverningh and his colleague Nieuwpoort addressed to the Estates of Holland (not at the moment in session) stating that Cromwell refused on his part to ratify the treaty until he received the Act of Exclusion[8] from the Estates, who were until now wholly ignorant that any such proposal would be made to them.

The cleverness and skill now shown by the council-pensionary were truly extraordinary.  A summons was sent out to the Estates to meet on April 28 without any reason being assigned.  The members on assembly were sworn to secrecy, and then the official letter from London was read to them.  The news that Cromwell refused to sign the treaty until he received the assent of the Province of Holland to the Act of Exclusion came upon the Estates like a thunder-bolt.  The sudden demand caused something like consternation, and the members asked to be allowed to consider the matter with their principals before taking so momentous a decision.  Three days were granted but, as it was essential to prevent publicity, it was settled that only the burgomasters should be consulted, again under oath of secrecy.  At the meeting on May 1 another despatch from Van Beverningh was read in which the envoy stated that the demand of Cromwell—­that the Act should be placed in his hands within two days after the ratification of the treaty—­was peremptory and threatening.  Unless he received the Act he would consider the treaty as not binding upon him.  Using all his powers of advocacy, De Witt succeeded after an angry debate in securing a majority for the Act.  Five towns however obstinately refused their assent, and claimed that it could not be passed without it.  But De Witt had made up his mind to risk illegality, and overruled their protest.  The Act was declared to have been passed and was on May 5 sent to Van Beverningh and Nieuwpoort with instructions not to deliver it until circumstances compelled them to do so.  The proclamation of peace followed amidst general rejoicing both in England and the Netherlands; but for some five weeks the existence of the Act was unknown to the States-General, and during that period, as a fact, it remained in Van Beverningh’s possession still undelivered.