Simons Ministry

From 23 June to 15 July 1859 Mathias Simons and Jean Ulveling were the only members of the government, after which Édouard Thilges was added again.

[2] Charles-Mathias Simons restarted the negotiations on the Grand Duchy's participation in reimbursing the debts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

[2] Complying with the wishes of William III, the new government was tasked with preparing a text to put an end to parliamentary dominance, and to strengthen the sovereign's powers.

[2] The authoritarian measure of William III resembled a real "coup d'État" intended to restore his power.

[3] In order to counterbalance the drawbacks of unicameralism, William III created the Council of State, whose members were appointed by the King and which shared legislative power with the Assembly of Estates.

[3] The members of the Constituent Assembly of 1848, conscious of the danger of being absorbed by the German unification movement, had confined themselves to stating that Luxembourg "is part of the Confederation, in line with existing treaties".

[3] The text of 1856 declared that "the Grand Duchy […] is part of the Germanic Confederation and participates in the rights and duties of the federal Constitution".

[3] It enacted around forty decrees on the press, the electoral system, the pay and status of civil servants, the internal order of the Assembly of Estates, the organisation of the courts, the cadaster, the Chamber of accounts, the communes and the militia.

[4] The mass of capital for the construction of railway lines and the development of industry and trade required the creation of a new system of credit.

[4] While this institution hoarded individuals' savings, the Banque internationale provided the country's nascent industry with capital.

[4] This establishment, effectively still-born, was intended to offer loans to farmers and land-owners, without them having to give up their land if they fell into debt.