 The Treaty " generously " restored most of the colonies that had been lost to the British since 1795 , except Ceylon , but including the Cape Colony . This now made the attempts in the Asiatic Council , which had replaced the Directorate of the VOC in 1799 , to reform the management of the colonies , more urgent . Dirk van Hogendorp was commissioned to write a proposal , that met with considerable enthusiasm from the more progressive elements on the council , like Samuel Iperusz . Wiselius . He proposed to abolish all perquisites and sinecures ; to permit private trade ; to permit native subjects to own private property ; to substitute the " land levies " by a regulated land tax ; and the abolition of all seigneurial rights in the colonies . This met with overwhelming resistance from vested interests . When a new Charter for the colonies was promulgated , Hogendorp 's proposals had been whittled down to insignificance The vestigial democrats on the Council were now purged in favor of Orangist reactionaries like Hendrik Mollerus , and Hendrik Van Stralen . In any case , the Republic did not enjoy the possession of its colonies for long . After the resumption of hostilities in 1803 the returned colonies in most cases were soon reoccupied by the British . Java , however , held out till 1811 . 
