The peace was joyfully welcomed in Holland, for it removed the British blockade and gave a promise of the revival of trade.  But all the hopes of better times were blighted with the fresh outbreak of war in 1803.  All the colonial possessions were again lost; and a new treaty of alliance, which the State-Government was compelled to conclude with France, led to heavy demands.  The Republic was required to provide for the quartering and support of 18,000 French troops and 16,000 Batavians under a French general.  Further, a fleet of ten ships of war was to be maintained, and 350 flat-bottomed transports built for the conveyance of an invading army to England.  These demands were perforce complied with.  Nevertheless Napoleon was far from satisfied with the State-Government, which he regarded as inefficient and secretly hostile.

In Holland itself it was hated, because of the heavy charges it was obliged to impose.  Bonaparte accordingly determined to replace it and to concentrate the executive power in a single person.  The Legislative Body was to remain, but the head of the State was to bear the title of council-pensionary, and was to be elected for a period of five years.  Schimmelpenninck was designated for this post.  Referred to a popular vote, the new Constitution was approved by 14,230 against 136; about 340,000 abstained from voting.  On April 29, 1805, Schimmelpenninck entered into office as council-pensionary.  He was invested with monarchical authority.  The executive power, finance, the army and navy, the naming of ambassadors, the proposing of legislation, were placed in his hands.  He was assisted by a Council of State, nominated by himself, of five members, and by six Secretaries of State.  The Legislative Body was reduced to nineteen members, appointed by the Departmental Governments.  They met twice in the year and could accept or reject the proposals of the council-pensionary, but not amend them.

Schimmelpenninck was honest and able, and during the brief period of his administration did admirable work.  With the aid of the accomplished financier Gogel, who had already done much good service to his country in difficult circumstances, he, by spreading the burdens of taxation equally over all parts of the land and by removing restrictive customs and duties, succeeded in reducing largely the deficits in the annual balance-sheet.  He also was the first to undertake seriously the improvement of primary education.  But it was not Napoleon’s intention to allow the council-pensionary to go on with the good work he had begun.  The weakening of Schimmelpenninck’s eyesight, through cataract, gave the emperor the excuse for putting an end to what he regarded as a provisional system of government, and for converting Holland into a dependent kingdom under the rule of his brother Louis.  Admiral Verhuell, sent to Paris at Napoleon’s request on a special mission, was bluntly informed that Holland must choose between the acceptance of Louis as their king, or