The States General could not make war or peace, could not conclude any alliance or levy any tax, without the consent of the States of every province.

The States of a province could not give such consent without the consent of every municipality which had a share in the representation.

Every municipality was, in some sense, a sovereign state, and, as such, claimed the right of communicating directly with foreign ambassadors, and of concerting with them the means of defeating schemes on which other municipalities were intent.

In some town councils the party which had, during several generations, regarded the influence of the Stadtholders with jealousy had great power.

At the head of this party were the magistrates of the noble city of Amsterdam, which was then at the height of prosperity.
They had, ever since the peace of Nimeguen, kept up a friendly correspondence with Lewis through the instrumentality of his able and active envoy the Count of Avaux.