The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-20
TOO FAR NOW NOT
TO investigate
Members of Senate Com
mittee SO Regard Byrd
Resolution.
CLOVES HEARING
STILL IN SECRET
-------
Senate Decides That No Open
Sessions Shall BE Hcld-The
Nomination Of Joseph H.
Saunders Rejected.
Doherty Con
firmed.
Senate Decides That No Open

Sitting behind closed doors the Senate
yesterday, after a session lasting over an
hour. refuged to remove the ban OF Sc
crecy from the Cloves investigation now
in progress, rejected the nomination of
Joseph Fl. Saunders. superintendent OF
schools OF Portsmouth,. appointed a spe-
cial committee to inquire into sensational
charges filed against Julian p. Baldwin.
superintendent of schools OF Alexandria;
confirmed the appointment OF James B.
Doherty, commissioner OF labor. and, In
the absence OF the senator from that
county. failed to consider in any way the
case OF Il. III. Beazley. OF Halifax. whose
selection for membership on the Board of
Directors of the State Normal School at
Farmville, Is being contested.
Within an hour after this session, with
its varied and Interesting developments.
the Senate Committee for Courts of JUS
tice met, also behind closed doors, and
begar a. consideration Of the Byrd reso-
luton looking to an investigation of the
affairs OF the State Corporation Commis-
sion. AT nightfall. after long and de-
cidedly interesting discussion, the COM
mittee had reached no conclusions, and
when adjournment was finally taken II
was with the intention of assembling the
members again on Wednesday for a
further deliberation. Subsequently. con-
ferences were held in the Senate cham
ber between the committeeman, with tho
result that shortly thereafter a call was
issued for n special meeting at II o'clock
this morning. when the committee will
take up the resolution again and agree
to report 1t fayorably to the Senate which
will meet IL half-hour later
The Lanier Affair.
Little IL known definitely about either
OF these meetings beyond the bare re-
suits set forth above. Executive sessions
were the order of the day, and from the
looks of things viii probably be so FOR
the morrow as well and for the remainder
of the session unless those In favor of
throwing open the doors in TN.
Iarier case shall succeed In the
attempt they will make in this direction.
Something like a death-blow TO the
.'open-doorv policy was dealt yesterday.
so far as 1t went. The Senate vouchsafed
no official explanation of why 1t rejected
the Fulton resolution. 1t Is understood
that the Baldwin investigation. still to
come. will be secret
AS for the Byrd resolution, 1t came be-
fore the committee in due form in ac-
cordanca with the decision OF the Senate
on Saturday. Mr.. Byrd. who Is chair
man of the House Committee for Courts
of Justice, was present. Notwithstanding
the Importance of the matter before the
committee. some difficulty was eXpe-
ricnced in securing a quorum. Finally
some members were got together--Judge
Mann, chairman. and AIessrs. Walker.
Phlegar Rison, Sims. Machen, Patteson,
Lassiter and I. A. Wickham-and work
was begun. The resolution was read at
length.
II move that the resolution be adopted. Z.
said Judge Wickham at once. We can
do nothing else with 1t now,
II second the motion" said Judge
Phlegar.
'.These matters are usually considered
in executive session. suggested Mr..
Machen.
The reporter, who had ventured into
the committee room. prcciptately de-
parted.
Interesting Developments.
Several Interesting developments mado
tho session that followed one of some.
Importance AS patron or the resolution,
Mr. Byrd explained it's purposes, and
Continued on Second Page.)