[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 93 (Thursday, June 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1193-E1194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   A REQUEST TO INCLUDE TEXAS HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 30 IN THE 
                          CONGRESSIONAL RECORD

                                 ______


                          HON. CHARLES WILSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 7, 1995
  Mr. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, the following was sent to me by the 
Secretary of State of Texas. I respectfully request that it be printed 
in the Congressional Record.

                                               The State of Texas,


                                           Secretary of State,

                                                     May 29, 1995.
       I, Antonio O. Garza, Jr., Secretary of State of the State 
     of Texas, do hereby certify that the attached is a true and 
     correct copy of House Concurrent Resolution 30, passed by the 
     74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, as signed by the 
     Governor on May 25, 1995, and as filed in this office on May 
     25, 1995.
       Enclosure.
                                            Antonio O. Garza, Jr.,
     Secretary of State.
                                                                    ____


                      House Concurrent Resolution

       Whereas, In response to an Act of Congress approved April 
     10, 1869, the 12th Legislature of the State of Texas convened 
     in Provisional Session from February 8 to February 24, 1870, 
     and ratified Amendments XIII, XIV, and XV to the United 
     States Constitution; and
       Whereas, Those federal constitutional amendments, each 
     ratified by separate joint resolutions of the 12th 
     Legislature on February 15, 1870, solidified some of the most 
     precious rights that have been guaranteed constitutionally to 
     Americans, particularly ethnic minorities who were granted 
     the blessings of equal citizenship and the beginning of an 
     end to their past oppression; and
       Whereas, Amendment XIII eliminated forever the practice of 
     slavery, Amendment XIV promised due process and the equal 
     protection of the laws, and Amendment XV prohibited denial of 
     suffrage on the grounds of race, color, or previous condition 
     of servitude; and
       Whereas, Over time, copies of the three resolutions 
     regrettably have vanished from the holdings of the Texas 
     state archives, yet others are preserved in Washington, D.C., 
     by virtue of their certification and transmittal to the 
     Secretary of State of the United States and to the presiding 
     officers of the United States Congress; and
       Whereas, The 1995 Regular Session of the 74th 
     Legislature coincides with the 125th anniversary of these 
     historic ratification actions and marks an appropriate 
     time for the conveyance to this state of replicas of the 
     three resolutions so that Texans may view and appreciate a 
     series of documents that have played such and important 
     role in the extension and elaboration of their civil 
     rights: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas, 
     Regular Session, 1995, hereby respectfully request the 
     National Archives and Records Administration to make copies 
     of the joint resolutions of the 12th Texas Legislature 
     ratifying Amendments XIII, XIV, and XV to the United States 
     Constitution and transmit those copies to the Texas State 
     Library and Archives Commission for placement in the state 
     archives; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Texas secretary of state forward copies 
     of this resolution to the archivist of the United States at 
     the National Archives and Records Administration, to the 
     vice-president of the United States and 
     [[Page E1194]] speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives with a request that this resolution be 
     officially entered in the Congressional Record, and to all 
     members of the Texas delegation to the United States 
     Congress, as an official request to the federal government by 
     the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas: And, be it 
     further
       Resolved, That if and when such replicas are received from 
     the National Archives and Records Administration, the Texas 
     State Library and Archives Commission be hereby directed to 
     place them in the holdings of the state archives to be 
     available for public viewing and photocopying and in all 
     other respects to be treated as any other material worthy of 
     archival storage and retrieval.
     

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