was no alternative but to obey.  But the very feebleness of the central government made Bonaparte resolve on a revision of the constitution in an anti-democratic direction.  Augereau acted as an intermediary between him and the Executive Council.  Three of the directors favoured his views, the other two opposed them.  The Representative Body, however, rejected all proposals for a revision.  On this the three called in the aid of Augereau, who suspended the Representative Body and closed the doors of its hall of meeting.  The question was now referred to the Fundamental Assemblies.  On October 1, 1801, the voting resulted in 52,279 noes against 16,771 yeas.  About 350,000 voters abstained, but these were declared to be “yeas”; and the new constitution became on October 16 the law of the land.

The Constitution of 1801 placed the executive power in the hands of a State-Government of twelve persons.  The three directors chose seven others, who in their turn chose five more, amongst these the above-named three, to whom they owed their existence.  With this State-Government was associated a Legislative Body of 35 members, who met twice in the year and whose only function was to accept without amendment, or to reject, the proposals of the Executive Body.  The “agents” were abolished and replaced by small councils, who administered the various departments of State.  Considerable administrative powers were given to the local governments, and the boundaries of the eight departments, Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Overyssel (in which Drente was included), Gelderland, Groningen, Friesland, and Brabant, were made to coincide largely with those of the old provinces.  The aim of the new Constitution was efficiency, the reconciliation of the moderate elements both of the federalist and unitarian parties, and the restraint alike of revolutionary and Orangist intrigues.

It began its course in fortunate circumstances.  The long-wished-for peace was concluded at Amiens on March 27, 1802.  It was signed by Schimmelpenninck, as the representative of the Batavian Republic, but he had not been allowed to have any influence upon the decisions.  Great Britain restored all the captured colonies, except Ceylon; and the house of Orange was indemnified by the grant of the secularised Bishopric of Fulda, the abbeys of Korvey and Weingarten, together with the towns of Dortmund, Isny and Buchhorn.  The hereditary prince, as his father refused to reside in this new domain, undertook the duties of government.  William V preferred to live on his Nassau Estates.  He died at Brunswick in 1806.