The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-06
All Nominations Sent In By
 Taft Are Confirmed
NEW SENATOR'S SWORN IN
Knox Is First of Cabinet Members t:E Be Approved, Which Is Quickly R Done, and His Name Stricken
 From the Senate Roll.

Washington, March 5.-In its first regu- lar sitting of the session the Senate today received and confirmed the nominations ! of President Taft for the various cabi- net positions and also that of MT. Will son as Assistant Secretary of State. In addition Senators Chamberlain of Oregon 1 and Smith of Maryland were sworn in. The session, both executive and legisla- l tive consumed two and one-half hours of 1 time, an adjournment being reached at l 2:S0 p. m.
 Promptly at 12 o'clock today Vice Pres- ident Sherman called the Senate to order and after Chaplain Hale had delivered an impressive invocation, the roll was called and committee appointed to call upon the President and notify him that the Senate was organized and ready for bus iness
 | The session attracted a large gathering in the galleries and throughout the brief proceedings much interest was centered 1 upon the new senators who were in the 1 places assigned to them for the first l time. "The Cherokee strip as a part of | the democratic side on the extreme right hand Of the Vice President is known, was i rendered interesting by the location there | of Senator Root, among the new senator's It is in this portion of the Senate that are located the insurgents. the new l publican senators who are not altogether | pleased with their committee assignments, | and who are inclped in retaliation at 1 times to revolt from the policies of the majority.
 After prayer the journal was read and then Senator Lodge suggested there was | no record to show the presence of a quorum in the Senate of the Sixty-first l Congress.
 Committte Appointed.
 After the roll call had been completed resolution was adopted and Senators Gallinger and Culberson were appointed a committee to wait lpon the President.
 Senators-elect Smith of Maryland and Chamberlain of Dragon, both of whom i were prevented from reaching the Senate l in time to pc sworn in yesterday took | the oath of office.
 Senator Psnrose stated that his eol- league, SenatGr Knox, had sent his resig- nation as United States senator to the ! governor of Pennsylvania and asked that his name be stricken from the roll of the 1 Cixty first Congress. it having just been ' h ordered that this should be done. On motion of MT. Hale at 1920 the Sen- 1 ate took recess until 1:90 T. m. to per init the notification committee to per 1 form it's duties
 Senate ReassembIes.
 At 1:3O o'clock the Senate reassembed l and Senator Gallinger announced that the | President would immediately send in a communication. The Presidents assistant secretary instantly appeared with list 1 of names, including, those for cabinet | positions and on motion of MT. Aldrich l the Senate went into executive session. The Senate was at once confronted by | question as to MT. Knoxs standing. l Senator Penrose had stated at the earlier | session that his colleague had sent his resignation as senator to the governor | of Pennsylvania, but some senators had | made a mental note of the fact that l there was no other evidence that MT. | Knox was not still a member of the Sen l ate and 1t was stated the point probably 1 would be raised in executive session. As soon as the doors were closed the | Presidents message was laid before the 1 Senate and MT. Tillman called attention | to the facts relating to Senator Knox. l He stated, however, that he had no ob- ] jection to MT. Knox's confirmation, and l as no opposition was voiced from any ! other direction, he was immediately con-
 
 | of 15 minutes to permit the various com 1 mttees to which the other cabinet nom- ! nations were referred to consider and i report upon them. An exception was made in Senator Knox's case out of l courtesy to him as member of the l body.
 Sharp Criticism. l No specific opposition was made to the confirmation of any member of the cab | met. but some rather sharp comments 1 were made by MT. Tillman concerning | the nomination of MT. Meyer to be Sec | retary of the Navy and by Mir Bailey | concerning Mir Nage, to be Secretary l of Commerce and Labor
 | Tn his remarks MT. Tillman called at- | tention to the investigation of him by | the postoffice department during MT {; Meyers incumbency of the office as Post l master General. The senator from South ] Carolina said: ''He accused me of be- i ing a liar when I was not and I &C., 1 cused Meyer of being liar when he | was
 l At the same time ASr Tillman did not 1 object to confirmation. The comments of 1 MT. Bailey on the qualifications of Mir | Nagel had reference to the latter when
 counsel of the Waters-Pierce oil com pany. In speaking of this MT. Bailey said
 he understood that MT. Nage had been | an attorney for the Standard oil com 1 pany. MT. Borah replied that he had in | vestigated this charge and found its only | basis was in the fact that Mr. Nagel | for the Waters-Peroe oil company had
 once passed upon the validity of an opln-