SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 123
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 State of Texas, 89th
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 from
the Texas Senate.
Huffman
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 26, 2025.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate