The remaining Commonwealth regions reached north to include Courland, but consisted only of the area of 227,000 km2 and 4.4 million people; it functioned as a Russian protectorate. The King had to arrange for formalities necessary to legalize the "fait accompli". A sejm was summoned to Grodno to do that and to organize the diminished state. The deputies were selected for docility, but energetic protests took place nevertheless. Catherine's new ambassador, Jacob Sievers, responded with military intervention, compulsion and punitive acts. The deputies eventually ratified a cession of lands to Russia, but would not produce an analogous agreement with Prussia, the initiator of the present partition. Sejm Marshal Stanisław Bieliński interpreted their nightlong silence as acquiescence and the treaty with Prussia was also officially proclaimed.