The commission's chairman, Alfred C. Sikes, supports the proposals, but it is uncertain whether he can persuade his fellow commissioners to go along.

One even suggested that the chairman of the General Electric Company, John F. Welch Jr., was supporting the deal himself.

Mexico's governing party acknowledged yesterday that the chairman of the country's largest airline supported the party financially last year, but insisted that the donations were all legal.

With the new chairman of the party supporting EU membership Väyrynen decided to resign as a Minister.

"Although the chairman and several members of the board supported the idea, there were plenty of naysayers," he recalled.

Oct. 5: Irving announces its chairman now supports a revised $1.5 billion merger proposal by Bank of New York.

James H. Holley, a spokesman for Mr. Montgomery, said: "The chairman strongly supports the policy of pay as you go.

The fact that the chairman supports our investigations into these offices, and cosigns our requests for information, is helpful and potentially crucial.

The rapporteur, the shadow rapporteur and the chairman of the committee would all support a suggestion that this be turned into a vote without debate.

The committee's chairman, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, strongly supports the government's lawsuit.