Slaughter-House Cases

Unregulated butchers had contaminated the Mississippi River for years, thereby, causing regular cholera outbreaks.

The Louisiana legislature gave a 25-year monopoly in the livestock landing and slaughterhouse business to Crescent City Livestock company ("Company"). The law required that the company allow any person to slaughter animals in the slaughterhouse for a fixed fee. Several butchers brought suit challenging the monopoly.

400 butchers lost their jobs & formed the Butchers' Benevolent Assn. of New Orleans ("Butchers").

"Butchers" sued the "Company" claiming that the Louisiana monopoly grant to the Company created an involuntary servitude in violation of the 13th Amendment.

The state trial court found in favor of the Company.

Whether the state grant of a monopoly violates the US Constitution by creating involuntary servitude, or denying due process?

The privileges and immunities relied on in the argument are those which belong to citizens of the States as such, and that they are left to the State governments for security and protection, and not by this article placed under the special care of the Federal government.