The Simons Ministry was in office in Luxembourg from 23 September 1853 to 26 September 1860. Initially it just consisted of three members of the government, to which two more were added on 23 September 1854.
It was reshuffled on 24 June 1856, and again on 2 June 1857, when Paul de Scherff was placed in charge of railways, and Guillaume-Mathias Augustin took over his portfolio of Public Works.
On 29 November 1857 there was a third reshuffle, and a fourth on 12 November 1858. 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.
Transition
The Willmar government seemed to enjoy the favour of the Lieutenant-Governor Prince Henry, who dismissed it only reluctantly. During a conversation at Walferdange Castle, the Prince confided in the minister Édouard Thilges "that he had been very happy with the preceding Willmar-Metz cabinet, and that it was only by order of the king that the cabinet was dismissed and the Simons cabinet had been installed in its place". To signal his disapproval, he waited three weeks before accepting the candidates proposed by Charles-Mathias Simons. The latter had been charged with forming a new government after Wurth-Paquet, president of the Court, had refused this task.
Composition
Mathias Simons: President of the government council, Administrateur Général for Foreign Affairs François-Xavier Wurth: Administrateur général for Justice Vendelin Jurion: Administrateur général for the Interior From 23 September 1854 additionally: Emmanuel Servais: Administrateur Général for Finance Édouard Thilges: Administrateur Général for Communal Affairs
24 June 1856 to 2 June 1857
Mathias Simons: President of the government council, Administrateur Général for Foreign Affairs François-Xavier Wurth: Administrateur général for the Interior Emmanuel Servais: Administrateur Général for Finance Charles-Gérard Eyschen: Administrateur Général for Justice Paul de Scherff: Administrateur Général for Public Works
2 June to 29 November 1857
Mathias Simons: President of the government council, Administrateur Général for Foreign Affairs François-Xavier Wurth: Administrateur général for the Interior Emmanuel Servais: Administrateur Général for Finance Charles-Gérard Eyschen: Administrateur Général for Justice Paul de Scherff: Administrateur Général for Railways Guillaume-Mathias Augustin: Administrateur Général for Public Works
29 November 1857 to 12 November 1858
Mathias Simons: President of the government council, Director-General for Foreign Affairs François-Xavier Wurth: Administrateur général for the Interior Guillaume-Mathias Augustin: Director-General for Justice and Finance Paul de Scherff: Administrateur Général for Railways
12 November 1858 to 23 June 1859
Mathias Simons: President of the government council, Director-General for Foreign Affairs Guillaume-Mathias Augustin: Director-General for Justice and Finance Jean Ulveling: Director-General for the Interior
23 June 1859 to 15 July 1859
Mathias Simons: President of the government council, Director-General for Foreign Affairs, provisionally also for Justice and Public Works Jean Ulveling: Director-General for the Interior, provisionally also for Finance
15 July 1859 to 26 September 1860
Mathias Simons: President of the government council, Director-General for Foreign Affairs Jean Ulveling: Director-General for Finance Édouard Thilges: Director-General for the Interior and Justice
Foreign policy
The first task of the Simons government was to re-establish good relations with the governments of the Netherlands and Prussia. The treaty with the German customs union (Zollverein) was renewed shortly before its expiration on 26 December 1853. Charles-Mathias Simons restarted the negotiations on the Grand Duchy's participation in reimbursing the debts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In return, the Dutch crown guaranteed diplomatic protection for Luxembourgish subjects abroad.