A tour through Holland

by Sir John Carr

12. There shall be a secretary general of the council of state, having under him the offices necessary for the dispatch of business.

13. There shall be near our council of state, Auditors, of whom we shall determine the number and the distribution. They shall be chosen from amongst those young men who are destined for the administration, who have finished their studies, and who have distinguished themselves therein. There shall be two classes, the first composed of young people who shall have shewn in the exercise of their functions more capacity, discretion, and attachment to their duty: they shall take the name of auditors of the king, and the others merely the name of auditors. They shall be employed to prepare business, according to the orders they shall receive from the presidents of the sections of the council of state: they shall have no communication with the ministers unless by a formal order from us. The auditors of the king shall assist at the general sittings of the state when they are called there by us. In that case they shall rank behind the counsellors of state, and shall have no voice in council, unless we, from a wish to assure ourselves whether they improve in the transaction of affairs, in qualifying themselves for the administration, shall ask their advice: the other auditors shall only be employed in the interior of the divisions.

14. As the institution of auditors is intended to initiate young men in business, and to facilitate the means of succeeding in it, they will receive no provision.

Royal Decree of the 9th July, 1806, relative to the Presentation of the projected Laws of their High Mightinesses.

Art. 1. When the plan of a law, (the council of state having been heard) shall have been adopted by us, the secretary of state shall summon, by a letter, the president of the legislative body, at least two days beforehand, to assemble the orators of the government at such a day and such an hour, at the assembly of their high mightinesses, to present to them one or several projects of law; if there are many, the number shall be indicated.

2. The secretary of state shall inform the same day the secretary general of the council of state that such project of law has been adopted by his majesty; he will transmit to him at the same time a decree, signifying: 1st, the nomination of auditors; 2d, the day of presentation.

3. On the day appointed for the presentation at the latest, the general secretary of the council of state shall transmit to the person first named in the decree, and who is to be the speaker, 1st, a copy of the same decree by which their powers are constituted; 2d, two copies of the law.

6th. The orators of the government shall repair to the assembly of their high mightinesses, in the carriages of government, preceded by two tipstaffs and accompanied by two of the royal horse guards. The guards before whom they pass will draw up, and present their arms: at the palace, where the sittings of the assembly of their high mightinesses are held, they are to be received in a private room by the committee of that assembly, then at the door of the chamber of sittings by the notary, who shall introduce them to the place of the sittings of the assembly, and accompany them to the place destined for them, and which is similiar to that of the members of the assembly. The orator of the government first named in the decree, shall ask the president for leave to speak, and read, first, the royal decree and the project of the law, and secondly the exposition of the motives. This address finished, the president shall return the act to the orators, and a copy signed, which they are to report, and the orators will retire with the same ceremony with which they arrived.

As the 7th article of the treaty signed at Paris the 24th of May, 1806, ordains that the members of the reigning house of Holland shall remain personally subject to the dispositions of the 30th of last March, forming the law of the imperial family of France, it cannot but be agreeable to find here the most important articles to which his majesty the King of Holland is subjected, and which are most adapted to him: they are as follows:

Title 1st. Of the Princes and Princesses of the Imperial House.