Petition of Abram Rodman to the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled
We, the Indians and People of Color on Gay Head in Dukes County, would most respectfully represent that we are satisfied with that section of the law that says be it further enacted that no action shall be brought against any of the Indians, Mulatto, or Negro Proprietors of said lands for any debt hereafter to be by them contracted with any person or persons for any sum whatsoever, and we are also satisfied with that act that says no Indian, Mulatto, or Negro shall bring an action against any White person for debt, and the presence of this act shall be taken [ crossout ] as evidence in any court in the Commonwealth.
Therefore, we pray Your Honorable Body to continue the same.
We would further represent that our bound1 against the Whites has never been recorded. Therefore, we pray Your Honorable Body to run the line between us.
We would further represent that some men have married women that belonged on Gay Head, never come to Gay Head to live but lived in other towns and were voters there, and it so happened that their wives died before the children could take care of themselves, so they were all sent on Gay Head. Others have married strangers and never come on Gay Head to live, but their children or grandchildren will come and claim to be full Proprietors, which we think is not right. We are willing to do all we can for Gay Head poor, but we are not willing to maintain people that does not rightly belong on Gay Head, for we have no means of supporting them. Therefore, we pray Your Honorable Body to enact such laws as you may think best to shield us from such unfairness. We have but a very little education and of course cannot know much about the laws of the Commonwealth Therefore, we look to Your Honorable with confidence to enact laws for us.
And we as in duty bound will ever pray,
To the Honorable Commissioners that was appointed to visit the Indians of the Commonwealth
Gentlemen, the Proprietors of Gay Head very humbly ask you to present their petition or make mention of it in your report asking that we may be favoured with the forgoing regulations. Knowing that you was acquainted with us personally, we have drawn up this without the aid of any person so you will not be surprised at the feeble manner. It is done in it is with lively emotion of gratitude that we call to mind the words that you said to us in the School House that you would do all you could reasonably for us. Therefore, we put all confidence in Your Honors.
Done in behalf the proprietors of Gay Head.
Yours with much respect,
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Address: |
Chilmark, Massachusetts, February 17, 1849 / Francis W. Bird, Esq., East Walpole, Massachusetts |
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Legislative Action: |
Petition of the Proprietors of Gay Head. Presented by Mr. Perkins of Boston. House of Representatives. February 28, 1819. Laid on the table and ordered to be printed, C. W. Storey, Clerk / Lay on table and printed / Supplement 15, House No.3 46. |
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Docketing: |
12722/1 |