The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-20 00:00:00

EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE.

Letters from Athens of the 28th ult. state, that several
violent shocks of an earthquake were felt in various parts
of the Peloponnesus ; on the 18th, at Sparta, the shocks
lasted from 25 to 30 seconds each. The inhabitants ran
terrified out of their houses. On the same day, and in
the course of the night, four or five other slighter shocks
were experienced. Beyond the Eurotas an immense
rock fell from Mount Menelas, near the village of Drou-
chas. An old tower situate in the town of Magoules
was thrown to the ground. At Mistra the soil trembled
with more violence than at Sparta, and a portion of the
Hellenic College and several houses were destroyed.
The water of the springs and wells became turbid, and
an enormous rock, having detached itself from the sum-
mit of old Mount Mistra, rolled with terrific noise into the
town. At Calamea the first shock, felt at half-past nine
o'clock, lasted between 40 and 50 seconds, and there
were ten others, from that hour until midnight, at in-
tervals of three-quarters of an hour. Most of the houses
were damaged, and several in the neighbourhood actu-
ally gave way. Upwards of 50 dwellings were thrown
down at Areopolis, and 15 towers crumbled at Stylus.
Mtiny persons were buried under the ruins of their
houses in the province of Maina. At Androusa several
churches fell in. On the 25th ult., at four o'clock A.M.,
another shock was felt at Patras, which lasted a minute
and a half. The Courrier Grec announces that a red
rain had fallen at Tripolitza and elsewhere, and that the
Minister of the Interior had collected information re-
specting that phenomenon, which would ibe submitted to
the examination of the Medical Board.

PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY, ST. GEORGE'S FIELDS.
—The Anniversary Festival of this Institution took place
yesterday, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street ;
the Right Hon. H. Goulburn in the chair. Among the
gentlemen present we observed Sir C. Clarke, Bart., Dr.
Warburton, Rev. Dr. Croly, Sir Claudius Hunter, Mr.
Kemble, M.P., Mr. Anderton, Rev. Dr. Major, H.
Loydd, Esq., &c. After the usual loyal toasts had been
duly honoured, the Report for the last year was read
by the Secretary. From this document it would appear
that, during the past year, upwards of eighty-five addi-
tional names had been added to the subscribers and
life-governors of the institution. During the period
to which the Report referred, 118 criminal children, and
71 boys and 65 girls, the children of convicted parents,
had been admitted to the benefits of the charity. The
Report went on to detail several individual inktances of
the beneficial operations of the Society. After the read-
ing of the Report Mr. Goulburn proposed the toast of
the evening—" Prosperity to the Philanthropic Society,"
prefacing the toast with a high eulogium upon the objects
and operations of the Society. The toast was duly
honoured. A number of toasts were then disposed of,
and the party broke up at a late hour. During the
evening the following, among many other, donations
were announced by the Secretary :—Lord Chief Justice
Tindal, 101. los.; P. B. Duncan, Esq., 251.; Lord Rad-
stock, 10/. 10s. ; J. Chaterhouse Smith; Esq., 21/. lOs.i
Bank of England, 105/. ; H. Kemble, Esq., 21/. ; Right
Hon. Mr, Goulburn, 10L 10s. ; J. Labouchere, Esq.,
101. 10s.; the Marquis of Bristol, 50Z ; Baron Gurney,
201.; Lord Grosvenor, 101. ; John Curtis, Esq., 12/.125.;
Rev. Dr. Rice, 10L 10s.; Alderman Lucas, 5L 55., &c. The
total amount of subscriptions was nearly 2,000/.
CHURCH-RATES.--A parochial meeting was held
yesterday in the Parish Church, to which the Church-
wardens submitted a statement of the expenses of the
current year for the salaries of the officers and repairs
of the buildings, which amounted to 52L 17s. 4d. To
cover this charge a rate of one-halfpenny in the pound
on the rental of the parish was proposed and seconded ;
an amendment that no rate be granted was likewise pro-
posed, and, on a division, the amendment was carried by
an immense majority.—Berwick Advertiser.
Tan NEW POOR-LAW.--It
terise in too strong terms the base and infamous du-
plicity of the Tory party at the election, in reference to
this very question. None were .found readier than they,
at that period, to ensnare the people by a professed sym-
pathy with their wounded feelings and aggravated suf-
ferings,—and for what purpose ? Only to raise them
selves to power, that they might the more effectually
i
trample them deeper n the dust.. The New Poor-law of
the Whigs was then denounced by them as one of the
blackest acts of legislative demons ; yet no sooner have
they succeeded to power and place, than they bring in an
almost exact copy of that very Whig measure, which
they then branded as a base and brutal law. Surely,
never was there a band of political reprobates such as
these, collected ,before. Returned to Parliament to
lighten the burdens of the country, they saddle it with
an Income-tax. Chosen on the faith that they would
repeal the New Poor-law, they are the first to confirm it.
But all this is an exact embodiment of the spirit of
Toryism. It has deceived, oppressed, and plundered the
people from the beginning ; and it will continue to do so
to the end.—Leeds Times,