The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-27
CRITICAL STAGE
TO BE REACHED.
Something Interesting May Be
Expected at Senate Session
To-day.
WILL NOMINEES BE "KNlFED"7
Ills is Indignantly Denied By
Some and Its Likelihood
Asserted By Others.
WILL NOMINEES BE "KNlFED"?

| goes quick change, critical stage
will be reached in the Senate to-day In
what Is asserted in some quarters to
be an effort to block the confirmation
OF tho nominations made by Governor
| Montague to I'LL vacancies on tho varl-
GUS State boards.
While no definite statement of the
method to be adopted was obtainab!e
| last night, 1t was ascertainad upon I'M
questionable authority that the matter
| will be brought to test to-day, when
the movement, IL there is such move
| ment will be uncovered. or when The
bubble, II 1t is only bubble, will burst.
In what precise manner this revelation
Will be accomplished 1t Is impossible to
say at this time. the friends of the NOM
inecs. though, admitting that they are
arranging something In the nature oi
a coup de main, refusing further 10 re-
veal their hand. Perhaps n motor: for
an executive session will be made again.
earlier in the day this time. and dis
cussion, with its wide possibilities for
publicity, will ensure at all events the
issue will be forced in some shape, and
1t may or may not cause very con-
Adjourned Instead.
AT the close OF the session on Thursday
Judge Phlegar. of Montgomery, asked
that the Senate go into executive session
for a consideration OF the vacation APP
pointments made by Governor Montague
to fill vacancies on the boards Of the
different State neutrality-suspicious.
hospitals. colleges and others. A motion
to adjourn was made Immediately there
after and prevailed. In the confusion of
the last moments OF the session, the re-
quest of the Northumberland senator was
not even heard by many in the room,
and went by without attracting particular
notice. Yesterday the request was re-
peated In different form. Apparently
with a view to placing the matter more
pointedly before the Senate, Judge PILE
gar prepared a formal resolution At the
conclusion OF n long and spirited debate
upon the Anderson resolution. he sent tho
paper to the clerks desk. 1t read as fol-
lows:
Resolved. That the Senate do now
go into executive session to consider
the nominations made by the Governor
for positions on the boards OF State
institutions"
A motion to adjourn was at once made
by Senator Holt, OF Newport News.
..I hope the Senate will meet this ques-
| ton of an executive session squarely,
| said Judge Phlegar at once, apparently
much annoyed.
| After conference with several mem
berg. Senator Holt withdrew his motion
| A number of bills were offered and the
| report of the Finance Committee was
received While Judge Phlegar was still
| trying TO work his resolution In, new
| motion to adjourn was made by Senator
| Sale, of Norfolk. Calling attention to
| the late hour, Senator Sale said that
! the Senate had been In session long
! enough and that important committee
| meetings would demand the attendance
of himself and other members within an
| hour. leaving very brief time In which
| to get lunch. The motion to adjourn
| which was not debatable. was put to the
house and the chair declared the Senate
adjourned A division vote was an
nounced as q to Is for adjournment
| The roll was called, and the vote stood
II call for the ayes and noes said
Judge Phlegar, promptly.
| as announced-ayes, 81: noes, 10. The
Senate adjourned, with the Phlegar reso-
luton still lying upon the clerks desk.
| Senator's are reticent in discussing the
| matter for publication. 1t is declared on
| the one side that there is no political
Significance to the incident whatsoever
L
great mass of work still before members
for the day were the sole causes of the
refusal to della yadiournment for the
purpose Of holding an executive session.
There was, so fSr as was known last
night by certain Senator's reported to be
Interested in the alleged movement to
block the confirmation of the appoint
ments, absolutely no such movement In
existence. One or two of those approach
ed inquired in an interested manner
into the objects OF the reported move
ment and SO forth.
On the other hand, 1t Is openly assert
ed that a well-directed effort that will
in all likelihood succeed is being made to
knife the Montague nominees, or at
least some OF them. There are about
twelve of these appointments In ALL for
the various boards. All were made in
vacation to fill vacancies then In exls-
tence. One man has been serving since
December, 1904, and several since March,
| 1905. None of the appointments are for
terms that begin after the expiration Of
the term of Governor Montague.
| In the event that the nominations Of
| Governor Montague fall of confirmation
| by the Senate before February 1st. which
| is now five days off, the appointments
would have to be made by Governor
| Swanson. Should this occur. the Senate
| would either reject the nominations Of
| Governor Montague and receive other
nominations from Governor Swanson. or
would fail to act at all. In which event,
at the expiration OF n reasonable time,
| the new Governor would file a list of APP
| poihtments himself
| The alleged fight Is said In some quar-
tiers to be upon only three OF the Mon
| tague nominees, whose names are men
| toned, but elsewhere 1t Is declared that
| 1t is the disposition OF thS/other side to
turn the entire twelve out. Whether or
| not this or any OF 1t is correct WILL In
| all likelihood, be determined to-day.
The Tongues of Conscience.
Tomorrow afternoon at $3.50 o'clock, in