UTOPIA 146 UVULARIA vious facts of existence to support its claims; it is plain, simple, and direct; it affords an easy and safe rule for the solution of all disputed questions of morals; and it is in obvious agreement with a vast number of the most patent facts of life. Many arguments have been employed against Utilitarianism. It has been urged: (1) That our powers have various ends, how then can hap- piness be the end of them all? (2) That all actions producing happiness are not regarded as moral actions. All actions producing pain are not wrong actions. (3) That pain may be used as a means to good, but we must not do evil that good may come of it. (4) That we cannot always calculate beforehand whether the effects of an action will be good or bad. Human life is too complex, and the knowledge an individual has of it is too small to allow him to judge with perfect certainty. Besides, men will take different views of such questions, and thus the moral standard will at best be but a fluctuating one. These objections have been more or less effectively met by the advocates of Utilitarianism, but the gravest objection to the doctrine is (5) that it has no proper theory of duty — the word "right" has no deep true mean- ing in the system. UTOPIA, the name given by Sir Thomas More to the imaginary island which he makes the scene of his famous political rom.ance "The Ideal Republic, Which Is the New Island of Utopia." More represents this island as having been discovered by Raphael Hythloday, a companion of Amerigo Vespucci, but it of course is England, its capital Amau- rote, London. Its laws and institutions are represented as described in one after- noon's talk at Antwerp, occupying the whole of the second book, to which, in- deed, the first serves but as a framework. More's romance, or rather satire, ob- tained a wide popularity, and supplied (though incorrectly enough) the epithet Utopian in all impracticable schemes for the improvement of society. UTRECHT, an important town of Hol- land; capital of a province of the same name, 23 miles S. E. of Amsterdam. It is pleasantly situated on the Old Rhine, is traversed by two canals crossed by numerous stone bridges, and is sur- rounded by strong forts. The town is well built, and has several squares, prom- enades, a government house, a Protestant cathedral (a fine Gothic building), mint, handsome town hall, palace of justice, etc. Educational establishments include a well-equipped university, a veterinary school, musical college, and schools for drawing and architecture. Utrecht is the central point of the Dutch railway system, and carries on an extensive trade in grain and cattle, and in the man- ufactures of the place, which include Utrecht velvet, carpets, floor cloth, cot- tons, linens, chemicals, etc. Utrecht is the oldest town of Holland and was called by the Romans Trajectum ad Rhe- num, that is "Ford of the Rhine," later Ultra-trajechim. Pop. about 120,000. The province of Utrecht has an area of 534 square miles; pop. about 375,000. It is generally flat, is well watered by the Rhine, Vecht, Amstel, etc., and is better suited for dairy farming and stock rear- ing than for corn growing. UTRECHT, PEACE OF, a series of separate treaties agreed on at Utrecht by the powers which had been engaged in the war of the Spanish Succession. On April 11, 1713, the States-General, Prussia, Portugal, and Savoy, signed separate treaties with France. The em- peror refused to accede to the peace, and his differences with France were subse- quently adjusted by the treaties of Rastadt and Baden in 1714. By the treaty with England, France, among other things, recognized the Hanoverian succession, engaged never to unite the crowns of France and Spain, and ceded to England Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, St. Kitt's and Hudson Bay and Straits. Gibraltar and Minorca were also ceded on behalf of Spain. Holland retained the Spanish Netherlands till a barrier treaty was arranged with Austria. Louis XIV. recognized the title of the King of Prussia, who received a pai't of Spanish Guelderland, and the sovereignty of Neufchatel in Switzerland, while re- nouncing the principality of Orange. Savoy and Nice were restored to the Duke of Savoy, who was recognized as presumptive heir to the Spanish mon- archy, and received the title of king. Philip V. was not recognized till the con- clusion of these treaties, but France treated for Spain and formal treaties corresponding with those with France were afterward signed with that power. UVULA, a small fleshy protuberance which hangs at the middle of the pos- terior margin of the soft palate. In the case of sore throat, it frequently becomes enlarged and inflamed, and is to be treated by the application of stimulants and astringents in gargles. UVULARIA, a genus of plants, order Liliacex. The mealy bellwort, U. per- forata, is a handsome, smooth plant, found in woods in the United States and Canada; stem 10-14 inches high, pass- ing through the perfoliate leaves near their bases, and dividing into two branches at top; flowers pale-yellow.
