89R10893 BPG-D
By: Huffman S.R. No. 123
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The outstanding endeavors of the Consulate General
of France in Houston serve to strengthen the meaningful connections
with Texas that have spanned many centuries; and
WHEREAS, In 1685, famed French explorer René-Robert
Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, landed at present-day Matagorda Bay
and built the Fort St. Louis stockade; the settlement was
short-lived, but in 1818, a friend of Napoleon Bonaparte, General
Charles Francois Antoine Lallemand, brought a band of army veterans
to establish Champ d'Asile on thinly populated Spanish territory
near modern Liberty; Spain did not take kindly to the incursion, but
the brief French presence helped to define the Sabine River as the
border between Louisiana and Texas; and
WHEREAS, France was the second country to recognize the
Republic of Texas as a sovereign nation, and the two countries
signed a commercial treaty in 1839 and opened their respective
legations in Austin and Paris; in the following decade, more than
2,000 French Alsatians flocked to Castroville under the leadership
of banker Henri Castro, and across the state, French Catholic
missionaries developed schools and hospitals; and
WHEREAS, Favorable relations continued after Texas entered
the Union and have flourished through the years; our economies
benefit by the dynamism of imports and exports, totaling $15.6
billion in 2022, making France our state's 14th-largest trade
partner; in the last decade, French companies reported more than 80
investment projects in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Led since 2021 by Consul General Valérie Baraban,
the Consulate General of France in Houston provides services to
French citizens living in the Lone Star State; it also promotes
French business, science, and technology and fosters language
learning and cultural appreciation through its Villa Albertine in
Texas program; in 2024, it partnered in the creation of the
French-American Cultural Foundation; and
WHEREAS, The friendship between France and Texas has long
been a driver of prosperity and a source of vibrant cultural
enrichment, and the efforts of the Consulate General of France in
Houston continue to invigorate this multifaceted and mutually
valuable exchange; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature
hereby honor the Consulate General of France in Houston for its
contributions and recognize the enduring bonds between France and
Texas; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the consulate as an expression of high regard by the
Texas Senate.