Village Administration and Local Government in B. G. 345 
colony, and shall have and exercise generally the power of supervision, 
inspection, and control ove: the several Village Councils and the officers 
and servants thereof.” 
We have seen that in 1883 when the villages were taken over by the 
Government and placed under the Public Works Department, they were 
relieved of any share in the maintenance of the publi: roads, but their 
several debts to the Government were retained on the colony’s books. 
From 1860 to 1892 the amount borrowed by the villages totalled a 
sum of $136,127. Of this amount the villages had repaid $65,665. 
In 1892, by the authority of the Combined Court, all the smaller 
debts amounting to $6,136 were written off, but the liabilities of 
Beterverwagting, Plaisance and Buxton amounting to $74,706 were 
retained as assets of the colony. No reason appears to have been given 
in 1892 for treating the two sets of debts in different ways, but Sir 
A.M. Ashmore remarks in his memorandum, that “it can only be 
surmised that the Government was reluctant to admit that so consider- 
able a sum of money had been totally lost. That it had been for a 
long period before 1883 hopelessly irrecoverable, an inspection of 
the account shows clearly”. 
It was not until 1901-02 that the Government decided to close 
the account, and at the second Special Session of the Combined Court 
obtained permission to write off $56,147, made up as follows — 
Beterverwagting ...$21,182 
Plaisance ... sao ZEB 
Buxton sae ss. 6,574 
$56,147 
The amounts owing by Plaisance and Beterverwagting were written off in 
full, but $8,125 of the Buxton debt, which was specially secured, was 
retained as an asset of the colony; this debt has nearly all been since 
paid off. 
lt might be asked how these villages became so heavily involved 
with the Government; the answer is easily supplied. The debt of 
Buxton-Friendship was incurred between 1862 and 1876 and the money 
borrowed was used to purchase the existing draining engine and empolder 
some of the back lands. In the latter year the debt was $55,873 but 
this was slowly reduced year by year until in 1901-02 it stood at $16,955. 
The debt of Beterverwagting was incurred between 1862 and 1884, 
at which date it stood at $21,233. 
The debt of Plaisance was incurred between 1866 and 1883 at which 
date it stood at $29,508. 
