To designate the United States courthouse located at 125 Bull Street in Savannah, Georgia, as the "Tomochichi United States Courthouse".

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his support of this legislation.

There are many Members of this body that deserve my State's appreciation for bringing this long overdue bill to the floor, honoring a great American, a great Native American and a great Georgian, Tomochichi. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, and subcommittee ranking member, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) were both instrumental in helping this bill advance quickly to the floor. I thank them for their bipartisan support. The gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) should be credited with moving the legislation swiftly so that we can bring closure to a long overdue need in my State and in my district. I believe unanimous approval by this body to be of particular importance to the nature of this bill.

This bill renames the Federal courthouse in my district the Tomochichi United States Courthouse. A glance at who this leader was will indicate his accomplishments and quickly demonstrate why his name deserves the eternal respect of his fellow Georgians and Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I believe Chief Tomochichi, the Mico, or chief, of the Yamacraw nation to be the cofounder of my State of Georgia. This bill will do much to reawaken the memory of a great man in the hearts of both Georgians and all Americans for restoring our honor by recognizing his service to the beginnings of our great Nation.

The English general, James Oglethorpe, first launched Savannah on the Savannah River in 1733. He founded the British colony there and he met Tomochichi as he came up the bluff at what is now the city of Savannah. Unlike the tragic history of conflict between settlers and Native Americans in other colonies, Tomochichi brought lifelong friendship to the infant colony, granting the settlers permission to peacefully settle in the Savannah region. Among Savannahians, as has been pointed out, the hospitality that Tomochichi showed these young settlers is legendary. But Tomochichi's gifts to our State were just beginning.

Thanks to his diplomatic skills, this Yamacraw leader was instrumental in convincing the other Creek tribes in the immediate vicinity to accept the fledgling colony of Georgia. Without his political leadership, Georgia may well have perished in its infancy, with a hostile Spanish administration in what is now Florida, intent on turning Native Americans against English settlers.

Tomochichi and his family then traveled to England where they met with the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Upon his return to Georgia, Tomochichi successfully lobbied his new neighbors to establish the first missionary school among the Lower Creeks, recognizing that education was the key to the future as these two cultures became intertwined.

Tomochichi passed away at around 93 years of age on October 5, 1739, at what we used to call the Yamacraw Indian Village, just upstream from Savannah. But before he died, he requested that his body be buried in Savannah among his new friends. He was buried with full military honors in the largest public ceremony of the day, with cannons firing a final salute and his old friend General Oglethorpe serving as a pallbearer. His body was laid to rest in the center of the city's main square at the time, later to become Wright Square, with a traditional Indian burial mound atop his grave. A century and a half later in the 1880s, some shortsighted city officials allowed the mound to be removed and another statue placed on the site. Admirers of the great chieftain responded by placing an inscribed granite boulder in honor of Tomochichi a few feet from his remains, but to this day many believe that we owe our old friend much more.

Today this body can help restore the honor and respect due this great American by renaming the Federal courthouse in Savannah, Georgia, as the Tomochichi Federal Courthouse. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2523.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2523) to designate the United States courthouse located at 125 Bull Street in Savannah, Georgia, as the ``Tomochichi United States Courthouse''.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2523 was introduced by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns), a distinguished member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, and it designates the United States courthouse located at 125 Bull Street in Savannah, Georgia, as the Tomochichi United States Courthouse.

Tomochichi was a Creek Indian leader, living in what we now know as the Savannah River basin in the early part of the 18th century. In 1733, when General James Oglethorpe arrived leading a group of English settlers at what was to become the new colony of Georgia, they were offered friendship by the Creek chief and assistance in the creation of the new English colony of Savannah. In 1734, Tomochichi traveled with Oglethorpe to England to approve a treaty between the Creek and the English. The friendship between Oglethorpe and Tomochichi endured until Tomochichi's death in 1739 and is regarded by historians as being the key reason for the survival of the Savannah colony. Tomochichi was laid to rest in what is now Wright Square in the city of Savannah.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution honoring an important person in the history of Savannah.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns), the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2523, a bill to designate the United States Courthouse located at 125 Bull Street in Savannah, Georgia as the Tomochichi United States Courthouse.

Chief Tomochichi was born to the Creek Indian Tribe in 1650 in the small village of Coweta, along the Chattahoochee River. He became the Chief of the Yamacraw Indians and was integral to the success of the Georgia Colony.

Tomochichi enjoyed a reputation as a great warrior who possessed sound judgment and wisdom. In 1773, Chief Tomochichi encountered James Oglethorpe, the English settler who founded the Georgia colony. Tomochichi and the Yamacraw greeted the English settlers warmly, and Tomochichi supported Oglethorpe's plan to settle a new English colony in Savannah, Georgia. He aided the plans for the settlement and smoothed relations with the Creek and other nearby Indian Tribes. Tomochichi also warned Oglethorpe about unfriendly tribes. As repayment for his advice and good counsel, Oglethorpe took Tomochichi, his wife, his nephew, and other Indian Chiefs to England where they stayed for four months.

When Tomochichi died in 1739, he was buried at Wright Square in downtown Savannah. Oglethorpe served as one of the pallbearers and gave Tomochichi full military honors at his funeral. The Federal courthouse to be named in Tomochichi's honor is located in this same square.

Tomochichi's friendship with the English settlers helped the Georgia colony develop in peace, and his hospitality is legendary even today. It is most fitting that his contributions to Georgia and to American history are honored by this designation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2523.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 2523 is a bill to designate the U.S. courthouse located at 125 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia, as the Tomochichi United States Courthouse. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns).

In 1650, Chief Tomochichi was born in the small village of Coweta along the Chattahoochee River to the Creek Indian tribe. While he was the chief of the Yamacraw Indians he became a friend of James Oglethorpe, the English settler and leader of the settlers of the fledgling colony in Georgia. He supported Oglethorpe's plan for a new English colony in Georgia to be called Savannah.

Tomochichi was a great warrior, possessing both good judgment and wisdom. As repayment for his sound advice and trusted friendship, Oglethorpe took Tomochichi, his wife, his nephew. And other Indian chiefs to England for 4 months. When Tomochichi died in 1736, Oglethorpe was one of his pallbearers. He is buried in Wright Square, the site of the courthouse to be named in his honor. Tomochichi's actions helped ensure the successful settlement of Georgia and earned him a place in Georgian history. His hospitality is legendary even today. It is most fitting his contributions to American history are honored by this designation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, on behalf of the leader, I ask unanimous consent that the Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3884, H.R. 3147, and H.R. 2523, and that the Senate proceed to their immediate consideration en bloc.

I ask unanimous consent that the bills be read a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc.