The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-21 00:00:00

cresting account has been receive
San Josi:, Costarica, on the Isth
mber 14, 1841 :

s of earthquake, whi,

•nation, but happily, in this place, have
rith fatal effects. A little after six, on
2d instant, the first shock took place. I
moment, and immediately rushed to the
rk from the top of which, failing down,
my wash-hand basin, and gave me a slight
lowever, I soon found my way to the

vhere I saw a motley assemblage, some en chi-
iers with blankets round their shoulders, women
g, dogs howling, and every sign of confusion and
This was an awful moment. The houses, though
had not fallen, and we were every instant ex-
mother shock. The next was less violent, and for-
did no damage ; but for nine days and nights were
in continual alarm by slighter tremblings of the
We passed the nights in our clothes, with the doors

to favour our escape, if it should be ne-
e is so much damaged that I have not ven-
since, and I understand it will be taken

'Ably mentioned in my former letters that
y from twelve to fifteen feet in height,
against the danger of earthquakes ; but

church, I did not view without ap-
which is one hundred feet high. In
s hence, the effects were dreadful in the
time than I can write it, a city of ten
laid in ruins. What are all the evils of
=pared to such tremendous devastation ? It seems
:rful how so few lives should be lost. The inhabitants
debted for preservation to their early rising. All the
s were levelled to the ground, and not more than forty
ty persons killed or wounded. You may imagine the
ress of the survivors, without a roof to shelter them, and
to the mercy of the elements. They have pitched
its in the streets and squares; miserable huts, roofed
des and leaves, a very slender protection when the
:oming down in torrents for eight or ten hours suc-
y. Many of them will, no doubt, perish from fevers.
n- will suffer much from the dearness of food, the chief

article, maize, having been much damaged by the cattle get-
ting into the fields, the enclosures having been destroyed by
iquake. The cause of the calamities has been the
of a volcano, three leagues beyond Cartago. The
hquake took place in the year 1822, but the mischief
confined to the destruction of a few houses. The
people have, as you may suppose, conducted themselves like
itholics. Images of saints were carried in procession
i the streets, public prayers were offered daily, and
e walking about, doing penance, by carrying
on their heads."

last ear
was tht

Women were

LORD HOWICK

.'S EPISTLE ON CHARITY,

sincerity of a " liberal" politician's professions

vecial friend of the poor, it is only necessary gently to
hint to him to subscribe to their pressing necessities, and in
out of ten, we will vouch for it, be will shabbily
act the hypocrite in alleging that he is
from some " conscientious qualm " or
ary rule he has selfishly adopted in such cases,
& the sufferings of his suppliants by telling
sincerely sorry for their situation, and regrets
Jt help them; and if the knave pretends to
.sneas, it were a miracle if he do not tell them
,vere privations are the result of bad tory legis-
le last sentiment is generally expressed with the
e " liberal " hero's eyes turned up. as if he were
aint in an exquisite paroxysm of humanity. We
and over again seen these general facts verified
,ctice of " liberal" politicians when appealed to for
sympathy with the destitution of the poor, and in
s nothing is got from them but cantin' expressions
-nd cold vows made as a cloak for the most
oreediness. To see this enacted with something
ction, it is only necessary to get amongst a group
anti-corn-law leaguers or ignorant free traders, and
'll be witnessed in all the tact of an Old Bailey
in feigned sensibility. But if these remarks re-
ations from the conduct of the liberals generally,
een singularly verified by the recent conduct of
ck, in reference to some poor pilots at Sunderland
es had been destroyed, and to re-place which, a
n had been commenced by some benevolent indi-
; livelihood of these poor people entirely depending
ks a representative of Sunderland, Lord Howick
d to help this benevolent object, and to the re-
- --nt to him he has been pleased to return

line, heartlessly
vented doing, sc

y mod

them that ht
that he can

they have Ix
Lord Howic

the following answer

" Howick, Dec. 9, 1841.
received, a few days ago, a memorial from
bons, George Gibbons, William Collin, and

William Watson, asking me to contribute to a subscription
vhich has been raised to replace their boats, which have been
t, and requesting me to send my answer to vou.
in conformity with the advice of my
iunderland, determined to make a
)f not contributing, as member for the borough,
subscriptions for local objects, which are from
raised in the town, I must now beg toibe ex-
ny pecuniary contribution towards making good
s of these poor men, for which, however, I am very
—I am, your obedient servant,

et that, havi
pal friends i

me to t

. _
" HOWICK
' Mr. J. Charlton, 26, Silver-street, Sunderland."

TWO LORDS JOHN

'he Manchester Advertiser, a radical, but an honest, print,
tains the following pleasant and pungent contrast between
Lord John Russell of 1839 and the Lord John of 1841 ;
sixt my lord official, who doggedly maintained constitu-
ial finality and landed interest preponderancy to the elec-
i of Stroud, and my lord without an office, who pertly
mendaciously insists with the Plymouth gobentouches
; " taxes are paid to the landowners "—his preponderant
rest— at the expense of the community at large." For
"
sake of more patent illustration of the principles and con-
mcy of this
" last of the Whigs, we place these
memo-
e passages of his political life in 1839 and 1841 in juxta-

9. 1841.
Ecial lord, to Lord John, unofficial, to the
troud Plymouthninnies
.0 no al- " The united strength of
„don monopoly has defeated our ef-
-n forts to abolish prohibition •
•ind prohibitory duties." 6
• The late administration
ations endeavoured in vain to relieve
the the country from those taxes
which are paid to the land.
owners at the expense of the
community at large."

or the

;NEE REDUCTION OF THE FRENCH AILM.pn
immendation of Marshal Soult, his majesty Louis
has issued a royal ordinance reducing the strength of
to the extent of one company per battalion,
)00 horses. The number of men thus to be
',OOO, or rather more than oue-fifth of the
Comment upon this most important announcement
—Prfluou,. The saving to be effected by this
-.I at 30,00,000 francs (41,200,000 ster-