The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-12
MYERS CHRISTIAN
| PROBE IS DROPPED
House Committee Decides Against
Investigation Of Sensational
Incident.
DELEGATE MUCH SURPRISED
Says He Will Take Floor To-Day
and Plead That Colleagues
Stand by Him.
DELEGATE MUCH SURPRISED

The House Committee on Privileges
and Elections voted yesterday to
abandon tho investigation OF tho
Myers Christian episode despite an ur-
gent plea for full hearing made by
Delegate Willis and Delegate Myers.
| Without prolonged discussion. the full
committee adopted tho report of the
| subcommittee declaring the incident
not 4 matter for legislative investiga-
ton. This report, with the full up
prevail OF the committee, will Lo offered
| In the House this morning by Chair
man Martin Williams.
Your subcommittee begs leave to
report that after mature and acreful
consideration of the resolution, which
has been referred to us. we have
reached tho conclusion that tho subject
/ matter of the said resolution Is of such
a character that It Is not properly a
matter OF legislative investigation.
In view OF tho premises we have not
heard any testimony. and do hereby
respectfully recommend that the mat
/ ter DO dismissed so far rs the House
! of Delegates is concerned"
/ AS authority for its refusal to re-
port fnvorably tho Willis resolution
censurinss DR.. Christian for his utter
anccs to Delegate Myers the commit
tee cites Hines Precedences.
Myers VIII Take Floor To-day.
| When the report OF the committee
! is rendered this morning Delegate My
! crS VIII take the floor on question OF
personal privilege and plead with the
House to disregard the report and stand
/ by him i'm his defense. The contents
of the committee report was commuui-
Gated to Delegate Myers yesterday at
tcrnoon and caused him great sur
prise
lin any event" said Mr. Myers. tho
report Will serve notice on the members
OF the House as to what support they
may expect when they are approached
with "A bride i shall appeal once more
! for the investigation which 1 know
will justify me"
| TO Intimate friends Mr Myers has
made the assertion that he will resign
from the House II no effort is made
to settle the issue between himself and
| DR.. Christian
! TO tho general public the issue has
resolved itself into Il question of We
ractty between the Delegate and Dr.
Christian. Mr. Myers has made tho
declaration on the floor OF the House
that he was approached by DR.. Chris
tian in the lobby OF the Capitol with a
request that he vote FOR the Saunders
Land antivice bill; that when he an
nounced his opposition to the measure
, DR.. Christian threatened him with po-
llitical and financial rctribution, and ad-
dressed remarks to him which he con-
sidered personally insulting DR.. Chris
! tian. through the press. has made de-
NAL OF the charges
There were several witnesses who
overheard the conversation and were
prepared to testify before the House
! investigating committee, but the COM
mittce refused to enter upon a hearing
| OF testimony.
on the day following tho encounter
! in the lobby, Delegate Willis OF Roa-
noke, introduced the following resolu-
ton In the House. which was referred
! TO the Committee on Privileges and
| Elections, and by It placed In the hands
OF II subcommittee composed Of Dele
gates Pennington, oliver and Rolston:
Whereas. II has come to tho at
tcntion OF this body that some person
has, within the lobby OF tho hall Of
/ inc House of Delegates, attempted TO
influence the vote OF a member Of this
body by statements ms to tho effect
on the private business and political
/ future Of such member, should he vote
| contrary to the desires OF such person;
and
| Whereas. IL Is The sense OF this body
that every member should vote as his
own beat judgment dictates to him.
| mat the interests of the State require
| rather than In accord with the private
| business interests or political benefit
| VI '5ICH Uitnptr. therefore IL
Resolved. That this body condemns
such methods OF Attempting to infiu-
enco the actions OF members of the Cen
oral Assembly. and further that. here
after. If tho Speaker Of this House ia
satisfied that any person is using such
| methods that the Speaker Shall direct
the SerScant-at- arms to prohibit such
| person from appearing In tho hall or
| lobby OF this House.
After two Intellectual attempts TO OBJ
tain a. quorum. the subcommittee met
later on Tuesday afternoon. Chairman
Pennington announced that before TN,
subcommittee would listen to testimony
IL must determine its right to conduct
Il nearing. Delegate Willis. patron of
the resolution. expressed the opinion
| that the subcommittee was fully en-
| powered 10 conduct the investigation
ana report the resolution, while Delo-
| gate Myers declared that in plain ius
ice To him the matter should be thor
| oughly aired.
Question of Veracity.
1T has come down to a question of
verhcity between Or. Christina and
| myself" said Mr.. Myers. .If an,
| wrong. j am man enough to apologize
IT Is due me and due Dr. Christian that
tho truth be brought out in "a publ,
| manner"
The Rev. James Cannon, Jr speak
Ing for Dr. Christian. left The room
IN doubt as to his position. saying
Only that he would not prcs"r.. to in.
! nuence the committee in It's decision
| Whereupon the subcommittee with
| drew for private consultation DR.
Cannon followed tho committee, ana
few minutes aftcrward Mr.. Will.
was summoned. The subcommittee re
turned TO the room. ana announced that
| II was decided that tho issue between,
Delegate Myers and DIR. Christian was
not "a subject for Legislative invcati-
CATION"
This report was submitted by the
subcommittee to the full House Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections yes.
torday afternoon. At that time Dele