Editing Batavian Republic (section)

====Augereau-coup====
The majority in the ''Uitvoerend Bewind'' (Gerrit Pijman in particular) therefore amended the project in a sense that gave re-federalization even more emphasis. They unilaterally convened the primary assemblies by a proclamation on 14 September 1801, have a [[Batavian Republic constitutional referendum, 1801|referendum on this new draft constitution]]. The Assembly defiantly ruled this proclamation illegal on 18 September. Then General Augereau (he of the Fructidor-coup), now commander-in-chief of the French forces in the Netherlands, routinely closed the doors of the Assembly (by previous arrangement with Pijman) on 19 September, and arrested the dissident Directors. Despite this military putsch the campaign for the plebiscite took place in an atmosphere of political freedom unthinkable in France. Nevertheless, this did not result in great enthusiasm for the new constitution. When the votes were counted on 1 October, out of 416,619 voters only 16,771 voted in favor and 52,219 against. The Directors then used a sleight of hand that unfortunately would also become familiar in the Dutch constitutional politics of the successor states: they counted the 350,000 abstentions as "tacit affirmations".<ref>Schama, p. 418.</ref>

Unlike the coup of June 1798, the Augereau coup did present a sharp break with the recent past. The new constitution reduced the role of the legislative branch (which now did not have the right of initiative), and expanded the powers of the Executive, which  now became known as the ''Staatsbewind'' (Regency of State). The elective principle was reduced to a formality: the ''Staatsbewind'', originally consisting of the three directors taking part in the coup, expanded its membership by co-optation to twelve. This executive then appointed the first 35 members of the legislature. As vacancies arose, these were filled, as far as possible, on a provincial rota and according to national quotas of representatives of each province (much like the old States-General). Except for Holland, the old provinces were reconstituted. The local and provincial administrative organs continued to be elected – no longer by universal manhood suffrage, but by a system of [[Suffrage#Census suffrage|census suffrage]].<ref>Schama, pp. 419–420; the qualification for standing for office was 200 guilders in annual city taxes or 300 guilders in house rent; 10,000 guilders of real estate or 20,000 guilders worth of securities; Schama, p. 425.</ref>

Most important was the change in personnel of these organs, mostly as a consequence of this electoral change. The "democrats" were mostly replaced by Patriot regents, who had no patience with democracy, and by the old Orangist regents, who did not even have to disguise their allegiance as in early 1801 a convenient amnesty  was proclaimed. One surprising example is [[Egbert Sjuck Gerrold Juckema van Burmania Rengers]], the Orangist [[burgomaster]] of [[Leeuwarden]] before 1795, a notorious reactionary.<ref>Schama writes about him: "His activities both in 1787 and 1794 had earned Burmania Rengers an unsavoury reputation as one of the more enthusiastic bloodhounds of the old regime in Friesland, ..."; Schama, p. 420.</ref>

The coup represented a counter-revolution. This became clear in the way the [[iconography]] of the 1795 revolution disappeared: the [[Epigraph (literature)|epigraph]] ''Vrijheid, Gelijkheid, Broederschap'' (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) which had adorned all official publications, was henceforth removed, and the last [[Liberty Tree]]s were removed from the town squares. Soon the old ways were restored. For example, though the abolition of the guilds formally remained, in practice regulation of crafts and trades was reimposed by local ordinances.<ref>Schama, pp. 423–428.</ref>