Massachusetts. Guardians of Indians.

The first legislation regulating the Massachusetts Indians (St 1693-4, c 17) provided that the governor appoint "one or more discreet persons...to have inspection and more particular care and government of the Indians in their respective plantations." Fifty years later (St 1746-7, c 12) the General Court began to appoint "near to every Indian plantation in the province, guardians to the said Indians," three to a plantation, empowered to take Indian lands, redistribute them among the Indians, let out the remainder, and use the resulting income to provide for sick and indigent Indians, with accounting of these transactions to be presented to the legislature. Although Indians were not then restricted from selling their land, the renewal of the act (St 1758-9, c 6) put such sales in the hands of the guardians.

Regular renewals of the legislation occurred until 1796, but chapter 69 of that year fails to include it among expiring acts being made perpetual. Nevertheless, appointment and removal of guardians and approval of their accounts and proposed land sales to support the Indians were continued routinely by the General Court. Special regulations followed: to convey guardian accounts to the Committee on Accounts (Resolves 1801, c 17); to have guardians give bond and an account of properties held in trust to the Court of Sessions (St 1824, c 123); to provide for guardians' removal from office for cause by the governor (St 1846, c 216); and for the review of their accounts by judges of probate (St 1850, c 141).

...