The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-11
Williams, Oliver, Barley,
Echols, Mapp and
Holt, Conferees.
MAY HOLD FIRST
SESSION TODAY
Senate Adopts Resolution Notify
ing House That 1t Insists Upon
It's Amendments and Requests
Appointment of Commit
tee on Conference.
House Concurs.

The Williams enabling act was shut
day. shorn of every amendment which
that body had engrafted upon ii last
week. With IL came the report of the
House of Delegates. transmitted by
Judge Martin Williams, patron az the
measure. that 1T has declined 10 concur
In the adoption Of any Of the amend
ments ratified by the Senate.
Upon receipt Of this information the
Senate unanimously adopted q joint
resolution offered by Senator Holt. no
tifying the House that IL insists upon
Its amendments. and requesting the
appointment OF q committee or con-
ference. The resolution was concur
red in by the House.
The Conference Committee.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ellyson ap-
pointed as members Of the Senate com
mittee on conference Senator Holt. OF
Newport News. chairman Of the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections:
Senator Mapp. OF Accomac, floor lead
er Tor the Senate enabling act forces
and Senator Echols. of Augusta, chair
man of the Committee on Finance.
AS members OF the corrcspondinE
committee from the House. Speaker
Cox appointed Judge Williams. patron
OF the enabling act; Delegate oliver
OF Fairfax floor leader of the antipro-
nibttion forces in the House. and Dele
gate Barley. or Botetourt. who has
consistently voted with the enabling
act majority.
Senator Holt said yesterday that an
EFFORT Will be made TO get the Joint
committee together as soon as nos
siblc. and that it will probably hold n
meeting to-day. Judge Williams ex-
pressed the same desire for expedition
a. flet tttsn No -.
taken BY the Senate committee since
IL WAS at the request of the upper
house that the bill was submitted to
conference. He thought il probable
that meeting would be arranged for
to-day.
Echoi- Asks to He Excused.
The announcement OF the Senate
committee swas made by Lieutenant
Governor Ellyson few minutes be-
fore adjournment. Senator Echols
arose at once with n request that he
be relieved from serving on the com
mittee.
dislike to take the position / do"
said senator Echols. because 1 don't
want TO appear as desiring to avoid
any duty that the Senate seeks to place
OIL me. have been named as one of
The conferees on this bill, but | would
ask the chairman 10 relieve me of this
duty and name some other member OF
this body. which contains many men
better qualified than l am to pass on
this question. ] think that in this par
ticular case the Senate should appoint
another member In my place"
The chair has given careful consid-
GRAFTON 10 the makeup of this impor-
tant committed" replied Lieutenant
Governor Ellyson, "and has selected the
senator from Augusta because OF his
long experience In the Legislature and
Of fn t,.,,.
reasons | must earnestly request him
to withdraw his request and consent
TO serve on the committee"
senator Echols made no further re-
ply, and the committee stood as an
nounced by the chair
Mnke-up Causes Speculation.
The makeup of the Senate md
House conference committees afforded
topic for general speculation last
night. Considered from the standpoint
OF the recorded vote alone, the com
Hittec counts only two members who
are opposed to the enabling act-Sena-
tor Holt and Delegate Oliver Senator
lapp and Judge Williams are the SEN
ate and House leaders. respectively, OF
the enabling act forces
with the four members just enumer-
ated offset against each other by rea-
son of their opposite sentiments with
regard TO the passage of the act, the
balance OF power in the conference
committee. IL was admitted, rests with
Senator Echois and Delegate Barley.
Both of these voted for the bin. Sena-
tor Echols voted against the bill at the
last session, and is believed to favor
certain of the amendments rejected by
the House
No Further Amendments
Ihe makeup of the joint committee
was received on all sides with general
satisfaction. While its nominal 4 to >
majority In favor OF the enabling act
gives little room for encoura cement
to antiprohibition men, who hone for
compersating amendments. it was re-
garded as probable that the conferees
VIII make concessions to both sides in
the compromise measure that II will
report
Whatever the form in which the bin
Will be reported by the conference
committee. il will not he subject to
further amendment. The conference
report under the rules. Is lndivisibIe
and must be accepted or rejected as n
whole. In the event either branch
should decline to ratify the committee
report, it may ask for a second CON
ference. which will he final. The sec
ond conference, however. is seldom re-
quested. and will hardly be asked for
when the committee appointed yestcr-
day makes it's report.