 These are ( important ) examples of instances in which the good intentions of the Uitvoerend Bewind and its Agenten met with the political and economic realities of the times . Other necessary reforms ( the abolition of the guilds , the reform of the system of poor relief to mention but a few examples ) equally came to nothing . These defeats progressively led to disenchantment of the population with the regime , that already was in an awkward position because it was also brushed with the tar of the depredations of the French " sister republic " that mainly viewed the Batavian Republic as a milk cow , both collectively ( in its demands for loans at very low interest rates ) and individually ( in the demands of French officials for bribes and other extortions ) . 
