The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-03 00:00:00

jointures for widows, sums of money, or
.annuities for
kee eee ef! ma 7
Ler-med. The yourq.:; may wake p;:ovision fur
selves in declining years; endowments may be created for
children payable at any stipulated r:ge,tobe applied to the
purpoes of educat K
ion, as an fl,rentico fee, or as au eta-
for any occupation or profession, and the possessor of
an entailed or ay)y life estate may make provision for
younger children."
Under such circumstances the choice of a proper
office will he a matter of considerable importance, and
Mr. Robertson points out various considerations
,that should be fully taken into account be-
' fore a final election is made. He details some of
the numerous cases of litigation that have oc-
curred, where the stringency of the rules with respect
to " warranties" have created practical injustice.
Whether the insurance be looked to as a mode of
securing an adequate provision to a family when
deprived of a father's care, or of satisfying a creditor
contented to postpone his demand, provided ul:timate
payment is assured, it must be obvious that it will be
much more satisfactory when there is no longer a possi-
bility of its being defeated by some technical error, or
some mistake,which, although wholly unimportant in
itself, is yet sufficient to defeat the claim being con-
sidered in the nature of a warranty. He also very
ably advocates the mutual insurance principle, and con -
tends that a paid-up capital is wholly useless, while
it absorbs a considerable portion of the profits that
would otherwise be divided among the insurers.
Mr. Robertson's name as the author appears for the
first time in the present. edition, the three previously
brought out having been published anonymously. A
supplemental note has also been added, showing the
progress which the indisputable principle has made
since the first appearance of the work in September
last. On the whole, we can heartily commend this
interesting and useful little work to the attention of
our readers, mote especially to those who contem-
plate insurances on their lives.

EARTHQUAKE IN NEW ZEALAND.

1 (From the Wellington Independent of Wednesday Oct. 18 )
It is our painful duty to record a serious and afflicting
visitation. Since our last the whole district of Per t
Nicholson, (and in all probability, the entire colony if
not the other Islands of the Pacific,) so far as we have
received intelligence from, has been moved hither and
thither, by a terrible, though grandly magnificent,
I agency of nature. On Friday last, the day was remark-
-1 ably fine, though rather close and sultry, but towards
night the weather changed, and early on Saturday morn-
ing the wind came up from the southward and east-
ward, blowing half a gale of wind, accompanied by heavy
rain. No change was perceptible during Saturday and
Sunday, but few anticipated the approach of so fearful a
storm, (if we may be allowed so to term it,) of earth-
quake. About half-past one o'clock A.M. of Monday, a
distant hollow roar was heard, the sound travelling at a
most rapid rate, and almost instantaneously, in the course
of a few seconds of time, the whole town was labouring
from the most severe shock of an earthquake ever expe-
rienced by the white residents, or remembered by the Ma-
ories. Tne scene can never be effaced from our memory.
The crashing of houses, the fall of bricks, the hurrying
to and fro of women and children, and the incessant
wave-like motion of the earth, producing a chill at the
and a dreadful feeling of sickness, were more than suffi-
cient to appal the stoutest minded in the place.
The shocks continued, at intervals, until half-past
seven o'clock, A.M. When daylight broke the place pre-
sented a melancholy appearance. Most of the. large
brick stores and dwellings, together with many of the
sulid clay buildings, had received a severe shaking, and
chimneys were levelled to the roof in about two-fifths
of the houses in town. The Wesleyan chapel, the gaol,
and other public buildings were seriously damaged, and
the smash of glass ware, and other property was very

great.
Many men, women, and children had narrow and pro-
vidential escapes, but up to this time we had to thank
God for preserving life and limb.
During Monday, three or four slight quiveringe were
experienced, and owing to the threatening appearance of
the weather, fears were entertained of a recurrence of more
disastrous shocks. The weather cleared off in the eve-
ning, and the stars made their appearance. But few
slept during the night, and at four o'clock and at half-
past seven o'clock in the morning two light shocks took
place.
Yesterday, business was at a stand-still. Though the
shops opened as usual, men felt anxious and concerned,
and this was increased when the wind once snore set in
from the south-east. At half-past throe o'clock a slight
shock passed through the earth, within a second followed
by one, if anything, more severe than that felt on the
previous morning. Every house in the town rocked and
quivered like a ship in a gale of wind at sea, and several
buildings either fell in or were so shook as to endanger
the inmates or those who passed beneath them. Shock-
ing to relate, Barrack-sergeant Lovel, and two 'of his
children, one a girl of about four years of age, and the
second a boy of eight, were buried beneath the falling
bricks and rubbish which fell from the wall surrounding
Mr. Fiteherbert's stores. They were immediately dug
out, but we grieve to state that the little girl was
,qui:e
o
dead, and the boy so injured that he expired at 11 clot k
last night. The unfortunate father received severe in-
juries, large pieces of flesh being torn from his thighs,
but considering the awful nature of his affliction he is
doing better than could have been expected.
But few brick or clay houses resisted the shock. The
Colonial Hospital was severely injured, so much so, that
it was deemed advisable to remove the patients to Go-
vernment 'Toth°. Tho patients were removed from the
military hospital to the wooden barracks at Mount Cook,
and the prisoners were taken frcm the gaol and placed
in custody of the soldiery. On all sides and in all direc-
tions, ruined stores and dwelling-houses presented them-
, selves to the eye—and the earthquake has clearly do-
moustrated that wooden buildings are about the only
class of habitations which can be deemed secure against
such dreadful shocks.
Tuesday night passed over, and thy at length dawned
on Wellington. Two or three shocks occurred, but not
severe ones. Many walked about and did not trust
themselves in any place of shelter, whilst numbers formed
tents and coverings in the open air.
The weather has now changed, and the wind appears
to be setting in from the North. From appearances in
the sky, it is imagined that the Tongariro or some other
volcano is in active operation—if so we may deem the
greater danger passed. Throughout the whole of the
dreadful scene, we have to be thankful to the Supreme
Being that so few of our fellow creatures have been num-
bered with the dead; and whilst on this subject, we
would notify, that the Scotch Church will be opened this
evening for the purpose of Divine worship, and in order
to offer up our gratitude for the preservation of the com-
munity from destruction.

Wednesday, October 13.—The Independent was issued
from the press about twelve o'clock A.M. in the after-
noon the weather once more set in from the south-east,
and during the afternoon and evening slight shocks were
Mt.
Thursday October, 19.—During the night, the wind
blew fresh and the clouds hetok(ned heavy weather from
the southward. A few minutes after 5 A 51, a third
severe shock was experienced, which lasted about a mi-
nute, completely destroying the buildings previously
shaken. Mr. W. B. Rhodes and Co's. brick bonded
store, the Wesleyan Church, and numerous dwellings of
brick and clay were levelled with the ground, and many
dwellings built of these materials apparently not previ-
ously injured, were now seriously damazed. Several
families took refuge in the uew Episcopal Church, and
the wooden buildings were flown to as places of sefety
by those who had been driven from their usual places of
abode. A proclamation was issued by his Excellency
the Lieutenant Governor, ordering Friday Oct. 20, to be
observed as a general fast by the inhabitants of Port
Nicholson.
A company of soldiers, and numerous civilians were
employed during the day removing the property from
Captain Rhodes' bonded store, and it is with great plea-
sure we state that the military conducted themselves
exceedingly well, working cheerfully and together, and
that nearly the whole of the buried property a as removed
and placed in safety.
Friday, Oct. 20.—The wind still continued from the
same quarter, though the day was clearer than the pre-
ceding one. Prayers were offered up in the several
churches by the ministers of the different denominations.
Shocks were felt at intervals but not severe ones. Lir.
Level, after lingering to this time, expired in the morn-
ning, bowed down by the weight f his afflictions.
Saturday, Oct. 21.—Was a remarkably fine day, but
slight shocks still continued.
The remains of Barrack-sergeant Level were con-
signed to the tomb, his two little ones having been buried
the day previous. Deceased was buried with military
raensdp
eac
tl abryg ea
tt:
eunmdbliei
gr otiflee irveilmiaanisn
sp at
(i)d the theirg r
al
va set.
honours, the band of the 65th preceding the corpse to
thetr
ibute of
Sunday, Oct. 22.—Fine clear day, with wind from the
north. Shocks took place at intervals of three or four
hours.

Monday, Oct. 23.—Weather fine with wind from the
same quarter. But few shocks were tilt, and hopes
were entertained that the subsidence of the earthquake
night passed over quietly,
night be
csdvc,oonscitd.e2reid as
.....lcimerntdtn.
37ni
wiTthhoeninlyoranfienw g' swliathitirqieuia;n•cdrsblziuntgifulic. andlt business d was
carried on as wual.
.
Men were emploLevdaitia,ltditiing
every
the shattered dwellings, and activity p
direction. So far the inhabitants were inclined to'be-
lieve that the shocks were at an end, but at 10 minutes
to two a slight tremble took place, and at 5 minutes past
two a fourth severe shock passed through the earth, Jet-
t lowed within a minute or two by a second and third, the
three with the oscillation occupying sevenhalf
minutes of time. Up to this evening the shocks conti-
nued with little interruption.
The shockorce s confotinued
dt:ihrysoughout with a gradually
diminishing fr ten .

MONEY MARKET,—The premium on gold at Paris
is 9 k per mille, which, at the English Mint price
ex-
of
3/. 17s. 10iti. per ounce for standard gold, gives an
change of 25.39; and the exchange at Paris on
26
n 6
per
at short being 25.32 k, it follows that gold is 0.2
cent. dearer in Paris than in London. By
advices from
Ilamburgh the price of gold is 437 pt r mark, which, at
the English Mint pace of 31. 17s. 10id. per ounce for
standard gold, gives an exchange of 13.11; and the
exchange at Hamburgh on London at short being 13.10:11,
it follows that gold is 0.11 per cent. dearer in Ham-
burgh than in London. The course of exchange at. New
York on London is 1061 per cent., and the par of ex-
change between England and America being 109 23 40
per cent., it follows that the exchange is 3.33 per cent.
against England; but the quoted exchange at New York
being for bills at 60 days' sight, the interest must be
deducted from the above difference.