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Resolution of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana. 1845 79 (1845)

handle is hein.slavery/ssactsla0288 and id is 1 raw text is: 79 No. 138.-RESOLUTION. The Joint Committee composed of the Judiciary Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives of tIe State of Louisiana, to whom was referred a communication of the tovernor of this State transmitting letters from Hcory Hubbard (who declared himself to be an agent of the State of Massachusetts, for certain purposes) and copies of the resolutions said to have been passed by the Legislature of that State, authorizing the Governor thereof to employ an agent in the ports of Charleston in South Carolina, and New Orleans in Louisiana, for a term of time not to exceed one year for the purpose of collec.ing and transmitting accurate information respecting the number and the names of citizens of Massachusetts w'ho have here- tofore been, or may be during the period of his engagement impris- oned without the allegtion of any crime, and directing such agent to bring and prosecute, with the aid of counsel, one or more suits in behalf of any c tizens that may be so imprisoned, at the expense of Massachusetts for the purpose of having the legality of such impris- onment tried and determined upon in the Supreme Court of the United States, respectfully report; That no evidence has been laid before them to show that Mr. Hubbard was an authorized agent of the State of Massachusetts ; some informal comnunications appear to have been addressed by him to the Governor of this State, on the subject of his alleged agency, which were not responded to. He remained a few days in the City of New Orleans, and supposing that his mis- sion would he fruitless, and would produce useless excitement, he do- termined to leave the State. If this person had committed any nets or used any expressions designed to excite sedition or produce dis- content among our colored population, he would have rendered him- self amenable to the penalties for such cases provided, and certainly, would have attracted the observation of our Municipal Po:ice. No matter what proof mighthave been produeed by him in support of his alledged oflicial capacity and credit, his agency might have ter- minated in a criminal reponsibility. Thie Joint Committee are of opinion that no Department of this Government could recognize any mission of this kind ; it is certainly a novel feature in our flderal intercourse this establishment of a domestic Diplomacy, fir the purpose of testing peculiar institutions and serutinizing legislative acts; not with a view to encourage friendly relations between respective sovereignties. There is no doubt that the Legislature of Massachitusetts has adopted Resolutions which assert in substance, the right of that State to inves- tigate our police regulations and to controvert the action of our judi- cial tribunals as far as it is governed by that portion of our legislation. Against this improper assumption,-this dangerous interference-the Joint Committee believe it to be the duty of the General Assembly of this State to protest in a manner suited to the importance of the matter itself and to the high parties concerned. If there he any thing con- stitutionally invalid in otte or more of the statutes of this State, there is a mode of exposing such dlefort and checking its operation, affiorded by our own laws, needing the scrutiny ofno sovereignty, nor requiring any external supervision. That Massachusetts should seek to impose the opinions of her people upon the citizens of a State, whose institu. tions and customs differ so materially fron her own, when these opinions, and the manner in which that State has sought to dissemi- nate them, tend directly to promoto civil commotion and to etidanger

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