The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-27 00:00:00

R US .N

The following _letter --from zt. Petersburg con-
tains some curious speculations as to Russian' pro-
gress in Asia, and %ill probably be read with' in-
terest-in England at the present moment:—
," I have often spoken to you of the prodigious
activity displayed by the Russian Government in
Asia. ' You Are aware of the important acquit itions
it mask ldst year on the river Amoor, of the deve-
lopMent of its navy in the Pacific Ocean, the in-
crease of its commercial and political intercourse
with the Empire of the Centre, &c., but you have,
perhaps, loli knowledge Of the progreis the Rim-
sians are making in Central Asia. This point
now becomes ~more- than ever interesting,
for,_ after the coniplete• subjection of all-thetribes
of the- Eastern Caucasus, the Government will re-
double its - -efforts -to explore those countries,
to construct the railway that is to connect the
Caspian - Ssa with the- Sea of Aral, - to esta-
blish its factories in the principal towns of the
ancient Transoxiana (which the Persians and
Arabs call the Garden of the Earth), to get pos-
session of the'reutes of communication .in the
Khanats of Khiva, Bokhara; and Kokhan, and to
extend-its * commercial intercourse even to. Upper
India. The Russians have already transported
their merchandise on the Yolga and the Caspian- as
far as Balfa, and thence by the continental route,
by Sari and Bousturn, they Sent it either north-east
to Khiva Bukhara, and Balkh, or east by Herat,
Candalbar, and Cabul ; they have already , pene-
trated even into Upper India. -But from the period
of the definitive installation of the English in the
peninsula the bold and enterpriSing spirit of the
British merchants entered into competition with
the activity of the-,Russian- traders. I quence
of the creation Of the network of
.1-a7Zegwlliich
reach the -Indus, and of the introduction of steam
navigation on, that-river, Russian trade was,driven
to the• north., The railways now: allow= English
merchandise to penetrate beyond the frontiers' of
Affghanistan without considerable augmentation
of its .ctist, and, offer a- dangerous competition 'to
Russian produce in the- markets: of nokhara and
Khiva, neighbours. of. Russia. • The Russian Go-
vernment proposes-to put an end to thisststate of
things. It is a difficult
.enterprise to, struggle
with ,English
.intereSts, but there is no doubt that
it may be accomplished. Russia-has already _begun
to make the railroad from Moscow to Sarat-4,- and
she is working actively for steam navigation 'on
the Caspian. Sea; the conclusion of the war in the
Caucasus will now allow her to transfer the whole
of her activity to Central Asia,. the mole
so us the inhabitants of the Kirghese steppes- and
the Turcomans dwelling towards . the south of the
Caspian Sea have lone sought her protection against
Khivan oppression. She ill find capital to con-
struct the railroad from the Caspian to the Aral,
will improve the navigation of the rivers Amoor
and Syr-I)aria, which water those vast countries,
and, by the construction of fortresses on the 264
versts which separate the Caspian from this Atal,
will acquire a sovereign influence over the little
States-of Central Asia. Then the English trade
with the Indies will he infallibly undermined. Eu-
rope, and England herself, will find a great advan-
tage in trafficking with Central Asia by the-route
of Moscow and Saratof, rather than•by the long sea
route-round the (Jape of Good Hope. The execu-
tion -of this gigantic project had been already com-
menced, but the successful issue of the Caucasian
war will powerfully contribute to its prompt reali-
sation. The political, territorial, and commercial
extension of Russia towards the English Indies is
henceforward irresistible."

TILE 1311ILDERS' STRIKE.

The Operatives' Conference held a meeting yes-
terday, which lasted for a considerable time. Re-
porters were not allowed to be present, as on fob-
mer occasions, these meetings being held for purely-.
business purposes. Among the resolutions agreed
to, according to the information officially supplied
to us, was one disapproving of the conduct of the
masons, in empo xering one man (the general secre-
tary of that body) to act as a mediator, or agent,
in the dispute, apart from the Conference of the
whole of the building trades. Another and more
important resolution, embodying certain terms to
be submitted to the Executive Committee of the

Employers' Association at their meeting to-day,
was also unanimously agreed to; but the nature of
these terms was—under all the circumstances fairly
considered—withheld until they have been placed

before the employers.
From what has been stated in other quarters, it is
hoped that the propositions contained in the resolu-
tion are of such a character as t• promote an amicable
settlement of this unhappy contest between capital
and labour. We shall probably be enabled to give
the result tomorrow. On the other hand, the inter-
ference of the Conference, by means of picquets and
orders to men at work, both in town and country,
to leave their employment, is beginning to produce
a feeling on the part of the employers which may
not improbably lead to penal prosecutions, and thus
still further embitter a struggle which has hitherto
upon the whole, been conducted in a fair and
independent manner on 'both sides. As ono
specimen of the vigilance with which the picquets
of the Conference watch .every attempt on
the part of workmen from the country to ob-
tain employment, and the counter methods resorted
to for the purpose of defeating that vigilance, the
following correspondence, in which the names are
for obvious reasons suppressed, may be giuen :
" Sept. 14, 1859._

" Sir,—l am a young man just come,up from the
country, and wish to get employment. I never be-
longed to any society, but as I see the shops are so
watched I am almost afraid to go and ask fora job.
I can work at the bench, and will try and do my
be A. lam stopping with my brother-in-law, Mr.
-- street, if you answer this.—l am, Sir,
yours, &c., , "R."
The following is the reply to the above :
t " Sept. 24, 1859.
"The builder gave this man a job, but he was
afraid to bring the'tools himself, and employed a
deaf man to take them, so that he could not answer
an 7 questions to those on the look out."
The Rev. E. A. Verity, BA., a Lancashire cler-
gyman, and advocate of the East Lancashire Amal-
gamated Weavers, has volunteered a lecture on the
short time movement, in aid of the funds of the
operatives, which will be given in St. Martin's
Hall, or some other equally suitable building.
The dividend yesterday paid by the Operatives'
Conference was at the rate of 12s. to the skilled ope-
ratives late in Trollope's employment, and Bs. to
labourers. The dividend to the men locked out was
again at the high point of 4s. per man, in conse-
quence of the liberal contributions which have been
forwarded from all parts of the country, and from
every description of operatives during the past
week.
From the subjoined statement of the distribution
of the funds it will be seen that the total number of
men paid is 501 fewer than last week, and 522 be-
low the number'paid from the funds the week pre-
vious—in all, a diminution of 1,023, who have either
obtainei employment without agreeing to the de-
claration, or have left town hi search of work else-
where.
Subjoined is an official return of the sums paid
by the Conference :

s. d.
420 84 0 0
740 148 0 0
1,950 390 0 0
650 130 0 0
120 24 0 0
67 13 8 0
270 41 8 0
336 67 4 0
214 42 16 0
151 30 4 0
275 55 0 0
88 17 12 0
488 97 12 0
153 30 12 0
29 5 16 0
)9 9 .. 331 66 4 0
~ 10 .. 145 29 0 0
~ 11 (paid with Woolwich men)
„ 12 18 3 12 0
)9 „ 13 7 1 8 0
Stone polishers : : 2 0 8 0
Trollope's men .. CO 0 0

Masons ..
Bricklayers .. • •
Carpenters .. • •
Plasterers .. • •
Painters .. • •
Stone sawyers • •
Woolwich men •
Labourers —Lodge
,
tf
1,
41 "

79 7

6,45 4 £1328 4 0
This dividend is in addition to the weekly allow.
ance which the men on strike receive from their
various trade societies, and which varies from ss. to
12a.