Marshpee, in 1757, Bryant, an Indian preacher, used to preach to the Indians, in the Meeting-house.  The missionary, (Mr. Hawley,) received one hundred dollars annually, from Harvard College, of the Williams fund.  In 1778, the Indians gave the missionary, Mr. Hawley, two hundred acres of land, which witness inherits. [The validity of this title is not disputed.]

Hon. Charles Marston, (one of the Overseers,) testified that Mr. Fish had a Sunday School, principally composed of white children.  He did not recollect ever seeing more than eight colored children in it.  There were more whites.  The Overseers paid the school mistress seven and sixpence a week, and she board herself.  To an Indian, who kept school in winter, were paid twelve and nineteen dollars a month.  The whites who attend Mr. Fish’s meeting, never pay any thing to him or the church.  When the tax was required in parishes, many whites got rid of their tax by attending Mr. Fish’s meeting.  There was always twice as many whites as blacks in the society.  Last summer, (1833,) he counted eighteen colored persons, and twice that number of whites.  Mr. Dwight, one of the Committee, asked, if so many whites being there, did not tend to discourage the Indians from being interested in the meeting?  Mr. Marston thought it might.

Deacon Isaac Coombs, who had been twenty years a deacon in Mr. Fish’s church, changed his sentiments, and was baptized by immersion.  He testified before the Committee of the Legislature, that when he told Mr. Fish he had been baptized again, Mr. Fish said, “that was rank poison, and that he should expect some dreadful judgment would befal me.”  Deacon Coombs, who is sixty years old, testified also, that the Meeting-house was built for the use of the Indians.  No one could remember when it was built.  There was but one colored male church member, when Mr. Fish came to Marshpee, in 1811.  He further stated to the Committee that his family got discouraged going to Mr. Fish’s meeting, from the preference he gave to the whites.  He did not come to see his family, and lost his influence by taking part with the guardians against the Indians.  There was a difficulty in Mr. Fish’s meeting about the singing.  The colored people were put back, and the whites took the lead.  Mr. Fish has 50 or 60 acres of pasture, East of the river, besides the parsonage.

* * * * *

I have thus given my views of the law and the facts, touching the parsonage in Marshpee, in order that the Indians and their Selectmen who have desired legal advice on the subject, may fully understand their rights.  I am confident they will never attempt to obtain those rights, except in a legal and peaceable way.  The Courts at Barnstable, it is said, are closed to them, in the way pointed out by the law, the District Attorney refusing to prosecute the men who cut wood on the parsonage.  I invite the attention