The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-14 00:00:00

REPORTED MURDER OF JOE SMITH, THE

MORMON PROPHET.
The St. Louis Republican of the 19th ult. has the follow-

"-' The Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, was reported to
have been killed in a recent affray in the vicinity of Nauvoo.
We are without particulars."

THIRD EDITION.

Standard-office, Twelve o'clock

AWFUL DESTRUCTION
OF LIFE.
TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE IN THE ISLAND OF
ST. DOMINGO.

(From Le Patriote of Port au Prince of 11th May.)

On Saturday, the 7th inst., at twenty minutes past seven,
in the evening, we experienced some severe shocks of an
earthquake, which put the whole town in commotion. At
mid-day a large meteor was perceived passing to the east.
The heat was excessive, and thick clouds hung over the
neighbouring monutains, going in a direction from southeast
to the northeast. The seamen who were in the roads report
that they felt the shuck before they saw the houses shake,
which would indicate that the shock came from the east.
Many persons, however, think they observed that the os-
cillations came from the north and went south.
There were two very decided shocks, the first was not as
long as the second ; the latter was the most violent, and
lasted about three minutes. All abandoned their houses,
and the streets were filled with the affrighted population. But
a little more, and Port au Prince would have been the scene
of a disaster similar to that of 1770, a fatal year, which oc-
curred to the minds of every one.

There is scarcely a single' brick or stone house which has
not suffered damage, they are all more or less damaged.
Some, it is said, are scarcely habitable. The façade of the
Senate House, on which is sculptured the arms of the Re-
public, surmounted by the tree of liberty, were detached
from the edifice and broken into pieces by the fall. The in-
terior of the building has also received some damage.
In the night between Saturday and Sunday, two shocks
were again felt, but not as violent as the first, one at 10
o'clock and the other at 12. At 11 o'clock in the morning
of Sunday came another shock, mass at church was inter-
rupted, and those officiating at it ran away, and many females
fainted.

Monday, at 11 o'clock in the morning, another shock.
The weather during these three days had a lowering and
at times a threatening appearance. Monday evening, a little
rain, with excessive heat before and afterwards ; night cool.
Tuesday, a change of weather, return of the breeze and ap-
pearance of rain.

In the evening at eight o'clock, the weather was stormy
and every thing seemed to indicate an abundance of rain.
The hopes entertained yesterday have not been realised.
On Wednesday we were awoke at a few minutes before five
in the morning by another earthquake.
During these latter days it appears to us as if the earth on
which we were walking was constantly quaking.
SAINT MARc.—A letter from this town, which has becn
communicated to us, informs us thatthere too the earthquake
of Saturday last was felt with the greatest violence ; many
houses have been so much shaken that they threaten every
instant to fall down. On some plantations in the neighbour-
hood of the town very great damage has been done.
GoNAtvxs, Sth May.—Yesterday afternoon an earthquake
was felt in this city, which was so violent that most of the
houses in it were thrown down. At the same time, in con-
sequence of the shock, a fire broke out in the apothecary's
shop of Mr. Invernezzes, and consumed in a few moments
an entire block. The flames destroyed every think that came
in their way ; there was not a drop of water in the town.
All the houses which have not been burnt down have been
injured by the earthquake, and this morning the shocks oc-
cur every quarter of an hour. The shops of Madame John
Joufferts and M. Dupuy have fallen a prey to the flames.
The shops of M. Richard Dauphin and M. Oster, built of
stone and brick, have fallen down. Houses and shops are
inaccessible, and we write these hurried lines in the street.
Thc whoie population has passed the night in the middle of
the streets. Of the merchandise, which the merchants had
been obliged to pile up in the public square, a great part has
been stolen. It is impossible at present to estimate the ex-
tent of the loss. The church, the prison the national pa-
lace, the treasury, the arsenal, and the house which was get-
ting ready for the colonel commanding this district, are now
nothing more than a heap of ruins.

In short, no one has escaped the calamity. Now, while
we are writing, the fire is entirely extinguished, but the sky
looks threatening, and we are afraid of more shocks. if un-
fortunately our fears should be realized, there will be an end
of the few houses remaining standing, and Gonaives will be
DO more.
The first and principal shock lasted about five minutes,
and was followed during the night by more than twenty
others. which though not so violent, were equally fearful.
It is now 8 o'clock in the morning. Not half an hour has
passed since we had another violent shock. The number of
persons killed and wounded is not yet known. All the pri-
soners who were not buried under the ruins have escaped.
God grant that the capital may not have been afflicted with
a similar misfortune.
CAPE HAITEN, Wednesday, 6 o'Clock in the Evening.—
Most deplorable news is spreading throughout the city. It
has been brought by Mr. Obas, son of the general command-
ighnuaggaktheewDhiicshtriwctasoffePlltalsearnecne.n
Saturday
nconsequence of the earth-
taken re, evening Cape town
entirely disappeared, and with it two-thirds of the po-
Pulati°n• The families which escaped this disaster have
foaKerat La Fosette, where they are without shelter,
nately is probe.:
clothes
will not be confirmed in Such isr-tVay.eisi"s.
It is said that the
s circulating in town, and which unfortu-
nately
its full extent.
true. It is to be hoped, however, it
the physicians and
to set off this evening a
otasident of Hayti has given orders to
rds of health attached to the hospital,
tunate victims of this disaster.
Capt. Morris (of the a!their assistance to the unfor-
account), states in additio:f,i,m. Nelson, which brings the
with
a few hours previous to his
departure, a courier arrived information that at Cape
Haytien a fire succeeded the eath
, and the remnant of
maining houses, the powder marthaquake, destroying the re-
the inhabitants. St. Nicholas and port Paix are said to be
north side of the
Mr. Laurnal of Commerce,
in ruins, and in fact all the towns on rt
island. According to a letter in the the
t, was saved, all
arful indeed, are
Cape, or Cape Francois
but one inhabitant of the Cape, a
the rest being either crushed or drownedP
rose and submerged the city. Fearful, fe 7 the sea, which
- tien known as The a
the particulars of this awful visitation.
Cape hay ,
the north coast, is the capital of the republic, and
formerly
with a Papule-
variously estimated at rom 10,000 to 20,000.
tion contained some 900 stone and brick houses, •
It is situated on a Cape, at the edge of a plain between the
sea and the mountains. The plain is exceedingly fertile,
and intersected by broad paved roads, lined with lemon and
lime trees.
It is in let. 19 46 N. and lon. 72 16 W.

Vadtaintilt.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAY

Viscount MELBOURNE suggested that the income tax bill
should be read a second time sub silentio, and that the dis-
cussion should be taken on gob.); into committee. He pro-
posed this in consequence of the sudden illness of the Mar-
quis of Lansdowne, who had given notice of an amendment
on the subject.

The Earl of RIPON assented to the suggestion, and the bill
was therefore read a second time, and ordered to be commit-
ted on Tuesday.

The Bishop of EXETER asked if it was intended to proceed
with the bill for the improvement of the ecclesiastical courts
this session. Notice was given of it in her Majesty's speech;
but, at so late a period of the session, it was impossible that
right rev. prelates, whose interests it so nearly affected, could
be present at the discussion.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said. that if the right rev. pre-
late would repeat the question on Monday, he should be pre-
pared to give him an answer.
The Bishop of EXETER said he should be obliged to leave
town upon his visitation.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he could hardly think that
a misfortune.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--FRIDAY

In reply to a question rom Mr. Fox MAULE,

Sir J. GRAHAM said that it was not the intention of the
government this session to introduce any measure to settle
the differences which had taken place in the Church of Scot-
land.

Sir R. INGLIS moved a new writ for the borough of Not-
tingham.
Mr. G. KNIGHT, in seconding the motion, designated Mr.
Roebuck as the Simon Pure of the house.
Mr. ROEBUCK denied that he had anything to do with the
suspension of the Nottingham writ, nor did he affect any
peculiar degree of purity ; but he was certainly desirous that
the constituencies throughout the country should not be
bought or sold like sheep in the market.
Sir R. PEEL was of opinion, even though the retirement
of Sir G. Larpent immediately after his election was declared
to be valid might have been owing to illness, that still there
were grounds for suspicion and inquiry. He would, there-
fore, oppose the issue of the writ for Nottingham.

After a short discussion the issue of the writ was negatived
on a division by a majority of 136 to 41.
Mr. ROEBUCK moved the third reading of the Witnesses'
Indemnity Bill.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL was of opinion that the bill
was too general, but if the hon. and learned member would
consent to expunge the second clause, which he thought gave
superfluous powers to the committee, he would not oppose
the bill.

After some discussion Mr. ROEBUCK assented to the pro-
position of the Attorney-General, and the bill thus altered
was read a third time and passed, the borough of Bridport
having been inserted in the preamble on the motion of Mr.
C. Buller.
In reply to a question from Mr. LI umE,

Sir R. PEtL said that consideiations of revenue compelled
the government to retain the duties on cotton and woollen
raw material.

The house then went into committee on the new tariff

In schedule 14, Mr. GRIMSDITCH moved that the existing
duties on thrown silk should be retained. On a division,
however, the amendment was negatived by a majority of 240
to 22.

Considerable progress was made in the tariff, after which
the Chairman reported progress, and asked leave to sit again.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
house adjourned.