HISTORICAL SKETCH. 457 



as before, and yet a new plan of administration had become 

 necessary. The powers entrusted to the commandants had been 

 much curtailed : the roads could be no more kept in repair by 

 corvees. 



Lord Harris had the island divided into two principal 

 divisions, the northern and the southern ; each division was sub- 

 divided into four counties, and each county into two districts and 

 into wards ; these wards were, in most cases, the old Spanish 

 quarters. To each ward Lord Harris appointed a warden — a 

 respectable inhabitant of the ward, as a rule ; to each warden 

 was attached a clerk paid from the funds of the ward. One of 

 the objects of Lord Harris in establishing wards and appointing 

 unpaid officers was to prepare the people for the exercise of 

 municipal privileges. 



It had become urgent, under the new regime of liberty, to 

 provide local funds for local purposes — aland tax was established. 

 It had also become necessary to provide for the maintenance of 

 the public roads — road boards were formed. The warden, an 

 unpaid officer, had unfortunately been entrusted with multifarious 

 duties which he could not perform : he had to make yearly 

 returns of produce grown or manufactured; to prevent squat- 

 ting ; to detain lumber, &c, suspected to be cut on crown lands ; 

 provide work for the poor ; fix the rates ; pay all moneys into 

 the colonial treasury; he was road officer, payer, &c. — a great 

 deal too much for a man who had to attend to his own private 

 affairs. 



This was a mistake of Lord Harris, which, later, led to many 

 changes in the territorial administration of the colony, as organised 

 by him. 



Fully alive to the evils of squatting, or the illegal occupation 

 of crown lands, the Governor attempted its suppression. An 

 Order in Council dated October, 1838, gave power to the stipen- 

 diary magistrates for the removal of persons having taken, or who 

 would take, possession of lands without probable claim. A 

 proclamation had been issued in June, 1847, with the object of 

 enforcing this Order in Council. Lord Harris determined to give 

 all facilities for the removal of squatters ; extended the summary 

 jurisdiction conferred on the stipendiary magistrates to all 

 justices of the peace ; information, as regards public lands, was 

 to be preferred by the Surveyor-General ; in respect of private 



