A tour through Holland

by Sir John Carr

2. That it shall be formed in a general assembly, and divided into sections.

3. That the general assembly shall be convoked, and presided over by the king.

4. That the ministers shall have rank, a seat, and a deliberative voice in the council of state.

5. That there shall be five divisions of the council of state, each of which shall have its president.

6. These divisions shall be as follows: the division of legislation and of general affairs, comprehending the affairs of administration, and all that has not a reference to the other divisions; the division of marine; of finances; of commerce and the colonies; the division of war. The president and the members of the divisions or sections shall be appointed by us every three months. Each section shall have a superior clerk attached to it.

7. The title, rank, and honours of the counsellors of state shall be granted either to the public officers or to the members of the different authorities, or to the citizens most distinguished by their talents and probity. They shall not be annexed to the divisions of the council of state until they have been called by us to the council.

8. There shall always be a counsellor of state of each of the eight great departments for the legislation and general affairs, another for financial affairs, and another for the affairs relative to commerce and the colonies; and this in order that we may be well assured that the laws, or very important acts of government, shall not be prepared and discussed without having taken into consideration the situation and interests of each of the eight grand departments.

9. These counsellors of state shall have no other provision than for such duty as they shall be otherwise called upon to exercise. They shall have no right to come to the council unless called thither by us. The counsellors extraordinary of state, who might be nominated members of the assembly of their high mightinesses, shall not be assembled at the council of state so long as they shall exercise that dignity.

10. On the first of January every year we will determine the list of the thirteen resident counsellors of state, and of the presidents, in order to call to a residence near us those who might be in the departments.

11. The resident counsellors who shall be preserved on the list will occupy in the departments the places to which they shall be or might have been called.