The council-pensionary found the finances of the country in a state of great confusion.  One of his first cares was a re-assessment of the provincial quotas, some of which were greatly in arrears and inadequate in amount, thus throwing a disproportionate burden upon Holland.  It was a difficult task, but successfully carried out.  The affairs of the East and West India Companies next demanded his serious attention.  Both of them were practically bankrupt.

The East India Company had, during the 18th century, been gradually on the decline.  Its object was to extract wealth from Java and its other eastern possessions; and, by holding the monopoly of trade and compelling the natives to hand over to the Company’s officials a proportion of the produce of the land at a price fixed by the Company far below its real value (contingent-en leverantie-stelsel), the country was drained of its resources and the inhabitants impoverished simply to increase the shareholder’s dividends.  This was bad enough, but it was made worse by the type of men whom the directors, all of whom belonged to the patrician regent-families, sent out to fill the posts of governor-general and the subordinate governorships.  For many decades these officials had been chosen, not for their proved experience or for their knowledge of the East or of the Indian trade, but because of family connection; and the nominees went forth with the intention of enriching themselves as quickly as possible.  This led to all sorts of abuses, and the profits of the Company from all these causes kept diminishing.  But, in order to keep up their credit, the Board of XVII continued to pay large dividends out of capital, with the inevitable result that the Company got into debt and had to apply for help to the State.  The English war completed its ruin.  In June, 1783, the Estates of Holland appointed a Commission to examine into the affairs of the Company.  Too many people in Holland had invested their money in it, and the Indian trade was too important, for an actual collapse of the Company to be permitted.  Accordingly an advance of 8,000,000 florins was made to the directors, with a guarantee for 38,000,000 of debt.  But things went from bad to worse.  In 1790 the indebtedness of the Company amounted to 85,000,000 florins.  Van de Spiegel and others were convinced that the only satisfactory solution would be for the State to dissolve the Company and take over the Indian possessions in full sovereignty at the cost of liquidating the debt, A commission was appointed in 1791 to proceed to the East and make a report upon the condition of the colonies.  Before their mission was accomplished the French armies were overrunning the Republic.  It was not till 1798 that the existence of the Company actually came to an end.  To the West India Company the effect of the English war was likewise disastrous.  The Guiana colonies, whose sugar plantations had been a source of great profit, had been conquered first by the English, then by the French; and, though they were restored after the war, the damage inflicted had brought the Company into heavy difficulties.  Its charter expired in 1791, and it was not renewed.  The colonies became colonies of the State, the shareholders being compensated by exchanging their depreciated shares for Government bonds.