the principal governor or magistrate of the United Provinces.

The Stadtholder seems to be impowered, either directly or by his influence, to change both the deputies, magistrates, and officers, in every province and city. He is president in the states of every province, though he has not so much as a seat or vote in the states-general; but as he influences the states of each province to send what deputies he pleases to the states-general, he has, in effect, the appointing the persons that constitute the states-general, and may be deemed sovereign of the united provinces. The Stadtholders had once a very great power. We find one of their stadholders appointing what towns should send deputies or members to the assembly of the states of Holland: but the Stadtholdship was never hereditary till now, when in the year 1747 it was made so in the family of Orange. It is observed, that the states passed by the stadtholder's eldest son, and appointed his younger son prince Maurice of Orange their stadtholder; and at other times they have suppressed the stadtholdership entirely. The stadtholder always in the council of state, when the votes happen to be equal, has a decisive voice.