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CONSERVATIVE 118 CONSPIRACY by the Food Administration it was an- nounced that between July and Novem- ber the sugar distribution had been economized to the extent oi 775,000 tons. On June 30, 1919, the administration of the Food Controller came to an e.id, and competition was again fully re- stored, except in the case of sugar, which was continued on into 1920. CONSERVATIVE, as applied co one of the two great parties in English pol- itics, was firrt used by J. W. Croker in an article in the "Quarterly" for Jan- uary, 1830. Conservative began to supersede Tory about the time of the Reform Bill controversies. The plural form of the word has been assumed as a distinctive name by certain political parties in many nations. These parties are sometimes actually, and always avowedly, opposed to changes from old and establish ?d forme and practices. In United States history these names have never been in general use, but in Van Buren's administration the name of Con- servatives was applied to those Demo- crats that at the special session of Con- gress, of September, 1837, opposed the establishment of the sub-treasury sys- tem. In the Congress that met in De- cember, 1839, they had practically dis- appeared. The name was also assumed by Southern whites during the recon- struction period following the Civil War, to show their adherence to the old State governments, the abolition of which by Congress they opposed. In Virginia the name was in use until 1872. The name was also used at the North during this period. The Democrats applied it to themselves to draw moderate Republican votes. CONSERVATORY, a name given on the European continent to a systematic school of musical instruction. In Great Britain the term is usually applied to foreign schools of music. Conservatories were originally benevolent establish- ments attached to hospitals, or other charitable or religious institutions. In Naples there were formerly three con- servatories for boys; in Venice four for girls; the Neapolitan group being re- duced in 1818 to a single establishment tinder the name of the Royal College of Music. In Milan, a conservatory was established in 1808. In France the musical school established in connection with the Opera received its final organ- ization in 1795 under the name of Coti- aervatoire de Mufiiqne. The Conserva- torium, founded at Leipzig in 1842 un- der the auspices of Mendelssohn, is one of the most influential in Germany. In- stitutions of the same description are established in the capitals and large cities of Europe and the United States. CONSERVATORY, in gardening, is a term generally applied by gardeners to plant-houses, in which the plants are raised m a bed or border without the us2 of pots, the buildinj-j- being frequently attached to a mansion. CONSERVE, a form of medicine in which flowers, herbs, fruits, roots, are preserved as nearly as possible in their nati^.rvJ fresh state. CONSHOHOCKEN, a borough of Penn- sylvania, in Montgomery co. It is on the Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia and Reading railroads, and on the Schuylkill river. It has rolling miUs, foundries, furnaces, rubber works, cot- ton and woolen mills, ard steel mills, and is an important manufacturing center. Pop. (1910) 7,480; (1920) 8,481. CONSPIRACY, a secret agreement or combination between two or more per- sons to commit any unlawful act that may injure any third person or persons. Every act of conspiracy is a misdemeanor at common law. In June, 1900, the House Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Congress, reported a bill that aroused widespread iv+ rest in the labor and business world l-ecause it contained a definition of the word con- spiracy. The bill provided "That no agreement, combination or contract by or between two or more persons to do or procure to be done, or not to do or procure not to be done, any act in con- templation or furtherance of any trade dispute between employers and employees in the District of Columbia or any Ter- ritory of the United States, or who may be engaged in interstate or foreign trade or commerce, shall be deemed criminal, nor shall those engaged therein be in- dictable or otherwise punishable for the crime of conspiracy if such act committed by one person would not be punishable as a crime, nor shall any I'estraining order or injunction be issued with re- lation thereto. Provided, that the pro- visions of this act shall not apply to threats to injure the person or the prop- erty, business or occupation of any per- son, firm, association or corporation, to intimidation or coercion, or to any acts causing or intended to cause an illegal interference by overt acts with the rights of others. "Nothing in this act shall exempt from punishment, otherwise than as herein excepted, any persons guilty of conspiracy for which punishmerL is now provided by any act of Congress, but