The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-09
WASH PARTY s
S0|LED LINEN.
Debate in Senate on Re-
apporti0n1nent Bill AL
most Sensational.
THOMAS MAKES
GALLANT FIGHT
Lynchburg Member is Finally
Beaten, However, and Five
Counties Are Taken From
the Ninth and Given
to the Sixth
District.

After a lengthy debate, spirited at
times to the point of the sensational, the
Senate late yesterday afternoon, having
thoroughly reviewed political conditions
in the Southwest and to the apparently
intense satisfaction of the minority mem
broad light of day. ruthlessly exposing
sore spots hero and there, passed the
rcapportionment bill establishing Norfolk
and Newport News In separate congress
sional districts, and switching five coun-
ties from the Republican Ninth to the
Democratic Sixth, against the sturdy and
unyielding protests of the latter.
Long after the usual hour of adjourn-
ment senators We're still cross-flring from
every section OF tho chamber. the Lynch
burg member holding the center of the
stage. and the advocates of the Ninth
District change. with evident anxiety,
were rallying their cohorts to force the
adoption of the amendment, which was
finally accomplished by a majority OF
one vote. Even then the crucial stage,
having apparently been passed. the fight
was not relinquished. and Mr.. Thomas
returned to the charge when the amended
bill came up on it's passage. During the
days debate a half dozen interesting
things not ordinarily paraded in public
slipped out. References made to the
payment of capltation taxes by Repub-
lican politicians in the counties of Pu-
laski and Wythe. and the demand of Mr..
Thomas for an explanation of why 4
grand jury investigation had not been
instituted. bordered close on the sensa-
tional. Finally the bill. with it's amend
ment, went through by II vote of "a to ..
and the hard-fghting Lynchburger was
beaten and compelled TO content himself
with the reflection. privately expressed
after the session. that the unloading of
the five counties from the Ninth upon
the Sixth, in which his own senatorial
constituency is located. was an outrage
upon the people of that district.
Originally drawn with reference to n
readjustment of two or three Tidewater
districts, designed wholly to make pos
sible the separation of Norfolk and New
port News, heretofore both in the Sec
ond. the bill, which was the joint effort
of Mr.. Sale, of Norfolk, and Mr.. Holt.
of Newport News, would lave met Will,
little or no opposition but for the amend
ment of Mr.. st. Clair, of Giles, taking
that county and Bland, Craig, Pulaski
and Wythe, which, with the exception OF
Craig. compose his senatorial district. out
Of the Ninth and attaching them to the
neighboring Sixth. So far as the Tide
water readjustment was concerned, prac-.
tlcal unanlmity prevailed at last. Mr..
Stands, of Southampton, assuring his coll
leagues from that section that he had no
desire to crush the budding hopes Of GER
tain aspirants for Congress from the two
cities, asked, nevertheless, for delay. SO
I,tp- ,ctt
which, by the way, was left tundisturbed
In the Second, where 1t has always been;
but this was the only objection on this
point The fight that has been in pro-
gress for several years ended In victory
all the more creditable, In the face of the
obstacle created by the ST. Clair amend
ment. Norfolk and Newport News are
now separate, the one in the Second and
the other In the First District, and the
rival and conflicting shipping and other
interests will hereafter have separate rep
resentation In the national Congress, for
this is said to be the leading cause for
the change.
But this unanimity totally disappear
ed when the st. Clair proposition WAS
reached Mr.. Thomas, of Lynchburs,
which is situated in the Sixth District,
at once objected, Judge Phlegar. OF
Montgomery, also a part of the Sixth,
advocated the change and made a care
full statement Of his reason. Party affairs
in the district he declared had been
dominated by Campbell and Halifax.
leaving Montgomery, Bedford and the
others with the crumbs, and few of
them. AS for the congressional question
het had no interests of his own to serve,
and with more particular reference to
the present congressman from the dis
trict,l the Hon. Carter Glass, of Lynch
burg, had voted for Mr.. Glass In the
last primary and general election, and
Continued on Ninth Page.)