Even though Considerant and others of the colony labored assiduously for the grant of land and recognition of the colony, a bill permitting incorporation was all that they could achieve. On July 19, 1856, the Committee on Public Lands made the following report concerning the petition of the colony:
The Committee on Public Lands, to which was referred the petition of Victor Considerant, have had the same under consideration, and instructed me to report against the prayer of the petitioner; yet they have instructed me, in virtue of the fact that the petitioner represents a company with a large capital, and whose objects are to engage in manufacturing and other branches of industry, which it is believed will be of incalculable advantage to this country, to report a bill incorporating said company for the above purpose and recommend its passage.[29]
Later, on August 16, such a bill was introduced to “incorporate the European and American Colonization Society in Texas.” Some one immediately moved to amend the bill by inserting Harrison County and substituting G. G. Gregg, W. Adair, W. M. Evans. The amendment was tabled. Still another amendment was offered to substitute thirty-three and one-third years for the one hundred years contained in the bill, which amendment was also lost. Mr. Dickson of Red River, when his name was called, arose and said,
I would like to know what this incorporation means to do. I don’t see any proposition to do any particular thing. The bill just incorporates a body of men, without specifying for what purpose.
Now, I understand that this is a French Colony of Communists, and that those people there work for the leading men at about twenty cents a day, and are charged for their provisions, thus coming in debt at the end of every night.
Without having any explanation of what these people mean to do, and hearing these things charged against them, I vote No.[30]
The bill to incorporate finally passed the House by a vote of forty-eight to twenty according to the House Journal, but only forty-three to twenty according to the records of the State Gazette.[31]
In the Senate the bill suffered the same fate as to amendments. On August 25, one was offered which “provided, that this act shall not take effect or be in force until said Corporation shall (if they be foreigners) first file evidence in the State Department of their naturalization.” Then another amendment,
Provided, that a majority of the directors of said company, and the President thereof, shall be residents of Texas, and that the principal office shall be kept in this State, where all writs and citations shall be served.
and then the third amendment,
Provided, that this act shall not be so construed as to entitle said company to the benefit of any law, granting land or money to any Railroad or Manufacturing or Colonization Company, nor shall it authorize the company to prohibit slavery in any territory occupied by them.[32]
The bill as amended was voted on and failed of adoption in the Senate by a vote of fifteen for and thirteen against, two-thirds being needed for its passage.