The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-21
Plans Call for Military
Parade and Address
From Capitol Steps.
EXERCISES WILL
COVER TWO DAYS
Legal Inauguration Day Falls on
Sunday, Requiring New Gov
ernor to Take Oath Pre-
ceding Saturday-To Re
peat Oath Monday on
Capitol Portico.


Stuart, which Is due by law to take
place OIL February l. will establish
several precedents I'm Virginia history.
According TO plans announced last
night by the inauguration committee
of tho General Assembly. military
parade TO escort Governor Mann and
the incoming Governor to the Capitol
will be the chief spectacular feature.
while tho Governor-elect for the first
time within recollection. Will deliver
his inaugural address and take oath
Of Office on the open portico of tho
Capitol.
Further interest is added TO the
event by the fact that February 1 falls
on Sunday. creating situation for
which there Is no precedent Under
the new Constitution, the Governor
must be inaugurated on February !,
Immediately following his election. No
provision for unusual circumstances
Is made. BY the terms OF the old Con-
etitution. the retiring Governor re-
mained In office until his successor
qualified. Should Mr. Stuart fail TO
take the oath OF office OH or before
February l, the question OF his legal
eligibility for the Office might easily
he raised later in his administration.
Exercises ON Two Days.
In order TO avoid such a contingency,
the committee has decided to divide the
inaugural exercises into two parts, one
To be enacted in private on Saturday.
January 81. and the other I'm public
Monday, February .. II the com
mittec adheres TO this program Mr..
stuart will take oath OF office on two
separate occasions.
The present plans OF the committee
provide that Mr.. Stuart, with small
party OF friends and officials. is to ap
pear In the courtroom OF the state
ttyt a af,.r,l t.t,,
AIRY 81, and-.tAke the oath CT office as
Governor before Judge Keith. presi-
dent of the court the officer whose
duty il is 10 administer the oath to
the incoming executive. The hour for
this ceremony has not been announced,
and as far AZ possible the exercises
will be quiet
Impressive Parade to Capitol.
On Sunday morning Governor Mann
will automatically cease 10 be Gov
crnor, although he will virtually retain
tho powers of Office until after the
public exercises on the following day
Mr. Stuart will not move into the ex-
ecutive Offices until Monday.
The innovation OF a military pageant
ms a part of the inaugural exercises,
not seen in Richmond since the days
OF Governor Extra Billy" Smith in
war times WAS not accomplished with
out some difficulty At a recent meet
ing of the state Military Board ii was
decided to ask the Governor elect II
he would consent TO such an addition
TO the customary exercises. With this
In mind a subcommittee OF the General
Assem- b1y's inaugural committee. con-
sisting OF Senator Buchanan, Delegate
Myers and Delegate Lincoln. held a
conference with Mr.. Stuart yesterday
morning.
Mr.. stuart at once objected on the
he 10
the State to the expense of bringing
the Virginia Volunteers from all sec
tlons OF the Commonwealth to Rich
mond for such p purpose.
Finding the Governor-elect firm in
this attitude the committee then made
the proposition that all tho militia
stationed In Richmond be ordered out
along with all other commands that
were willing to dcfray themselves the
expenses of trip TO the Capitol.
No Expense to state.
This proposal. as entailing no ex-
pense to the State was eventually
accepted by Mr. Stuart The military
escort, then, will be composed of tho
companies OF the First Regiment sta
toned here, tho Richmond Light In
fantry Blues, the Richmond Howitzers.
and such out-of-town commands as
agree to pay their own expenses. 1t
Is believed by the committee that the
militia commands In Petersburg and
several other cities adjacent TO Rich
nond Will participate In the inaugural
parade OH these conditions.
The military line will form in the
streets about the Capitol Square,
marching to the Executive Mansion
10 get Governor Mann. and from tho
,cansion to the Jefferson Hotel, where
the Governor elect will await. them.
The parade down pennsylvania Ave-
nue. will then be enacted from the
Jefferson Hotel down Franklin street
and Grace Street to the Capitol where
the Governor will publicly take the
oath Of Office.
Speech From CapltoI Portico.
If inaugural Monday is clear, the
oath will be taken by MIR. Stuart on
the portico Of the Capitol. This Is
either precedent or the revival of an
ancient custom, according to members
of the committee; In any event, no one
can be found to remember when the
inaugural exercises were so conducted.
In case of rain tho oath Will he ad-
ministcrcd In the hall of tho House of
Delegates
The complication arising from the
fact that February i falls On Sunday
has sent tho members of the Inaugural :
ton committee digging into the Con-
stitutlon of Virginia. Ono Of them
claims to have found that the lnau-
gural address is a comparatively re-
cont innovation, having been intro
duced by Governor Montague the first
Governor to be elected under the now
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