The New York herald., 1874-09-09
Extensive Range of Discussion by the
Scientists at Belfast.
NIB. MACCAHAN'S JOURNEY TO KHIVA
His Courage and Ability
Highly Praised.
The FUTURE OF The UNITED STATES.


in this town and, OF course, the members OF that
august, learned and highly laxative body are In
delight over the result OF their work. Everybody
Is pleased, and everybody Is compmenting every
other body. Nothing but great British and mutual
admiration all around. We are all talking
about the splendid time We have had;
and suppose there Is something in
1t. There can be no smoke without
fire. All the fires lighted by this British Associa-
ton have resulted in much smoke; but after the
smoke had cleared away it was found that the
association had in reality done some good work,
notably the discussion on the strike among the
Belfast mill workers, in which suggestions were
made for its settlement, and that settlement, am
glad to say, has just been effected, as will be
shown further on in this letter.
THE KHIvAN CAMPAIGN.
With regard to the paper OF Mr.. j. A. MacGahan,
the HERALD correspondent, IN reference to his
journey to Khiva, it should be remarked that it
has been highly spoken Of Dv members OF the asso
citation. After 1t had been read NJ. de Khanikof,
Russian gentleman, observed that the expedition
to Khva had ascertaned the fact that
the detection of the Oxus to the Sea
OF Aral was caused by the cutting
Of five dikes across the old bed Of the river. BY
means OF these the authorities OF Khiva could reg
ulate the supply OF water to the Turcomans and
thus keep up their uthorty over them. Mr.. Delmar
Morgan praised Mr. MacGahan for the courage and
ability he had displayed all through this remark
able expedition. His journey was most remark
able one. The speaker expressed the opinion
that there could be no doubt that the
Oxus originally flowed into the Caspian Sea, for its
channel or bed was distinctly marked He as
cribed this detection OF the river to natural
agency to dessicatlon OF the land, and to a grad
ual upheaval. The influence OF this upheaval, he
remarked, was apparent on the Voga and Sir
Daria. 1t appears that at the present time three
the neighbOrhood of Khiva, and hopes are enter
tanned that they will be able to settle difficult
questions respecting the former beds or several
rivers OF Central ASIA
TRADES UNIONS
On the 25th inst. q most important debate took
place in tue economic section Of the assOcia-
tion on the report OF the committee on the eco
Of j. n. Fellows on political economy. and Of Mr..
Dodd upon the Belfast strike. Mr. James Broun-
made . statement in regard to the strike.
lie said that during the American war
connectios cfas with the linen trade of t Belfast and
that even then the millOwners never thought of
dividing any censiderabie portion Of their profits
built palaces and castles, and one of the mill
owners, John Mulholand, had become the owner
on quietly working all this time until
about two months ago, when they got notice
duced rate Of wages The belief on the part of the
workers was that there was no reason whatever
lor TINS reduction. They did not, however. SUD.
to allege that they struck they simply refused
work 0F Tse iny
did not not ailege any any nsa reason HaI for the the
ana 1f Ho % upc a
them, suggested that the reduction ought to begin
the nn%sF rs. we G msa BIZ
were running up the expense of working the mills
far Ms a had eer oess
with thorough knowledge Of the sub.
ject., and with an experience derived from
countries, asserted, what is pretty well known to
be true, that no country In the world has pro-
spinning Operatves OF Belfast. An American gen
tleman, when he saw the amount and character OF
hafnad hall nude workers, declared that the back
| slavery which he mad witnessed In the Coniede-
rate states was as nothing compared w with tu the
civilized and highly Christian town of Belfast:
The workers were not n fault IN this so-called LED
dispute to the arbi,raton OF Mr.. Murphy, a large
mill proprietor, put this offer was rejected
MIR. JOHN SHEPHERD, OF LIVERPOOL,
and Sir George Campbell having made some re-
marks, the debate was continued by Mr.. William
Ewart, J. p, wno is extensively connected with
the linen trade both in the north OF Ireland
ana in America. This gentleman considered
as Strike between capital and labor He
alleged that the present condition OF the linen
trade in Belfast was the cause of the reduction Of
! was good or bad. His inference, however, was
that the trade was bad at the time the reduction
| sary TO make the reduction, which, he said, was
only SIX per cent and Not ten per cent
he could not submit to the principle that there
should be arbitration in question affecting the
man. They would enter into 'negotiatOns' but
arbitration on this question OF wages the mill
According to the view OF this gentleman the mil mil
owners were quite ready to reduce the wages
OF the working PEOPLE but never m would NJ near Mop OF an
| the old rate, thing which seems to be very hard
and very unjust. The discussion was then taken
up !, by Mr.: James Hart, Sir George Campbell, Mr..
D0nne Rev. Dr. Scott Dr. Essre Mr. Es fsr
George CampbeD. The arguments used being
very much in favor OF the mill workers, Mr. Ewart
closed the debate by stating that he would do his
best to bring the present unhappy differences be-
| tween the employers and the workpeople TO an
Mi! Owners Association and recommending, as Jar
! as he could. settlement that might be satlsiac.
tory to both sides.
| were read in other sections. The larger portion
| Of them dealt with old questions, upon which no
years been attending the meetings of the British
Association AFFECT to take an interest IN ossllzed
o question concerning strike, or dis
covery Of part OF the world hitherto unknown, or
something important in snpoulldlng or railroad ,t
construction comes up, general interest Is felt in
| 1t; but no one cares pin Tor men who do nothing
from one end OF the year to the other but yent-
late their "hobbiesn and bore you TO death about
them That there are too many such ''bores' In
the British ASSOCIATION is unfortunately, too true
On the Goth Inst some or the sections met again;
but the papers read were OF an unimportant
character. save one, which relates 10
TIE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES.
This paper has been written bv Mr. G. W. Norman
f. g. :. but, In his absence, was read by Dr. Fare
IL js as folows:
After giving brief history OF the United States
and the constitution as secured and settled by the
| obtaining OF independence the paper, recurring
to the subject which 1t processes to treat 0,
SAID But what are we To think Of the future
OF our transatlantic brethren? 1 have already
shown that, at any rate from the beginning
OF the century the government refrigerated; !;
that the leading politicians far inferior to their
predecessors that their fiscal laws are about the
worst TO be found In any civilized nation, and that
the general system OF administration Is corrupt
and public and private moranty in money matters
at low ebb. Should this state OF things c0ntlnnc
TO exist the prospect for the future would be dark
indeed; but | am fully convinced that
it Will not continue, and that we may