t. The right of the Indians became vested and forcible the moment
the statute took effect." See a statement from the present Attorney
General of Massachusetts, dated December 1, 1919.

[20] "Section 5, chapter 463 of the Acts of 1869 provided that the
general agent of the board of state charities shall take charge of the
house, and all property connected therewith, in the town of Webster,
belonging to the Commonwealth and permission was given him to lease
the same to persona heretofore known as members of the Dudley tribe of
Indians, upon terms substantially like those upon which they have
heretofore occupied it; or to sell the same at public auction under
the direction of the state board of charities and pay the proceeds of
such lease or sale into the Treasury of the Commonwealth." Statement
of present Attorney General of Massachusetts, submitted December 1,
1919.

[21] Samuel A. Drake, _History of Middlesex County. Massachusetts_,
pp. 194, 280.

[22] John W. Cromwell, _The Negro in American History_, 98-103.

[23] These facts were obtained from Mr. Butler himself.

[24] This list was obtained from the office of the Attorney General of
Massachusetts.

DOCUMENTS

To meet the demand for an enlargement of the liberty granted the
Indians and the mixed breeds living on the reservations, the
Massachusetts Legislature enacted in 1861 the following measure
intended to offer every ambitious one of these groups a way of escape
from the wardship of the State and at the same time safeguarding the
interests of those who objected to having turned loose upon society a
large number of dependents who could not function as persons having a
permanent attachment to the community and primarily concerned with the
welfare of the body politic.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.

IN THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIXTY-ONE.

AN ACT

CONCERNING THE INDIANS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

_Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in
General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as
follows:_--

Sect. 1. All Indians and descendants of Indians in this State are
hereby placed on the same legal footing as the other inhabitants
of the Commonwealth, excepting those who are supported, or have
been, in whole or in part, by the State, and excepting also,
those residing on the Indian plantations o