The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-01 00:00:00

MASSES FOR THE DEAD.

The Siecle has the following curious calculation
on the subject of a proposal to say masses for the
souls of the dead in return for subscriptions in
money towards building a church :

" Economical doctrines teach us that raerchan
dise of all kinds declines in price when it is more
offered than demanded. It appears that the
trade in masses is in that position, for we have
received a pious prospectus which offers sixty
masses for five sous ! That price does not appear
to us too high. These five sous are destined for
the completion and furnishing of a church in the
department of the Mayenne, and it is the Bishop
of Laval who is to superintend the employment
of the money. Supposing that it only requires
50,000 fr. to complete the church, the prospectus
engages to there celebrate, within the space of
five years, as many times 60 masses as there are
25 centimes in 50,000 fr., which makes 200,000
times 60, or 12,000,000 masses. Now, as there
are in five years 1,825 days, it will be.nedee
.ssatrye,
in order to perform the promise contained the
prospectus, that 7,000 masses a d
performed Supposing inththata,t churchinstead duringweotuldstohrieeyociofiu
fivrre;
3ci,years.nsolyo
25,000 fr. are wanted, that
masses a day; reduce that by another half, there
mustbe 1,750; and by another half, 876. Ad-
mitting that a mass be said in a quarter of an
hour, it would require, from five o'clock in the
morning to noon each day, 32 altars and :32 priests
to be constantly employed. But if the church
should cost more than 6,250 fr., as is probable, and
should really require 50,000 fr., it would 'require
256 altars and 256 priests constantly saying 28
masses for five years from five o'clock in the morn-
ing to noon. Oannot the heads of the clergy, and
the Bishop of Laval in particular, understand that,
I in lending themselves to such speculation. in masses,
they degrade themselves and bring religion into
disrepute ? That is their affair : brit what regards
us is to enlighten the public, and, particularly our
' female readers, on the subject of those—mystifica-
tions."

GREAT WESTERN FETE.—The annual fete in aid
of the Great Western Railway Widow and Orphan Fund
took place yesterday at the beautiful seat of Viscount Bar-
rington, Beckett Park, Scrivenham, Berks, and was attended
by a company as large, if not more numerous, than on pre-
vious occasions. His lordship's residence is built in the,
Elizabethan style, and is most delightfullysituated near the
pretty village of Scrivenham. The range of the hills that
shelter the celebrated White Horse Vale are visible on the
southern side, and the place is admirably suited in every
.
respect for such a gathering. As in former years, the
directors liberally granted the use of special trains, which
Conveyed thousands of visitors from Paddington, Glouces-
ter, Reading, and other stations on the line. The amuse_
ments provided comprised the vocal comicalities of Mr.
Stead, the " perfect cure," Sam Collins and his pupil, t!ae
wonderful feats of the Chinese Juggler, Air n,,
ee ; Me
acrobats, Elliott and his boys; dancing to Mathew's excel-
lent
the sth Btec.lts oluTVhebnatnederss of
the Paddincdon
Rises
were also present.
Spacious marquees for refreshments, & 'e., were erected on
baanndd,
the ground. The whole arrangements were well carried out
by Mr. Baker, of Paddington, and the committee g:enerallY.
THE BUILDERS' STRlKE.—Yesterday afternoon
Sir G. Lewis received a deputation from the building trade,
which was introduced by Mr. Ayrton, M•P• The right
hon. baronet said he had listened with much pleasure
to the various statements placed before him by the diffe-
rent speakers. He could assure the deputation t that in
placing the sappers at the service of the contract( tr for the
barracks there had not been the slightest intentie a on the
part of the Government to interfere on either side in the
dispute now unfortunately existing between the men and
the masters; their only object had been to en )edite the
work. If, however, the Government had thu a uninten-
tially violated that desirable neutrality, he much. regretted
it. He was equally desirous now, as in 1859, to avoid in-
terference. He could not deny, after what, he had heard
from the deputation, that there were many pc rats in the
question well worthy the consideration of the Go vernment ;
he thought it a question fairly open for disr,ti ssion ; he
thought they had made out a good case for i aquiry; and
without pledging himself or the Government to any parti-
cular course, diligent inquiry should be made on the sub-
ject, and the various points urged shell ald receive his most
serious consideration. He regretted h; ,s necessary presence
in the house prevented him entering r Lov more full into the
question. The deputation thenretiv A.
•

The Rifleman steamvessel, last in commission on
the West Coast of Africa, is now being entirely re.
constructed at Deptford Dockyard.
The War Department transport Marlborough,
Mr. Fishingden master, was placed alongside the
Ordnance-wharf, Chatham, yesterday, to receive on
board a 100-pounder Armstrong gun for the screw
corvette Orestes, 21, and two 40-pounder Arm-
strongs for the Phaeton, 51, 400-horse power, both
of which are attached to the steam reserve at Chat-
ham. The Marlborough will also ship 90 of the
100-pounder conical shells for the Orestes.
Our Malta correspondent, under date of the 26th
July, announces the arrival on that day, at 9 a.m.,
of her Majesty's frigate Terrible, with 40 naval in-
valids, under charge of Sur;. George Gordon, and
five other passengers, including the Rev. Joshua
Watson and Mr. Thomas Heavan, engineer. The
Terrible left Beyrout on the 16th. Two deaths
occurred on the voyage—one on the 19th from brain
lever, and the other on the 22d from the effects of
fever.

We have to record the death of Admit al the lion.
F. B. R. Pellew, which occurred at Marseilles on
Monday last, in his 70th year. The deceased was
the second son of the first Viscount Exmouth by the
second daughter of Mr. James Frowd. He was born
in 1789. Entering the navy at an early age, he was
engaged at the destruction of the Dutch naval force
in the Indian seas, and continued to serve on the
East India station till the reduction of Java in 1811,
especially distinguishing himself at Samar ep, in
Batavia roads, and near Samarang. In 1813 he was
present and assisted at the capture of a French con-
voy in Port d'Anzo. He served from 1818 to 1822 on
the Mediterranean station. In 1852 he was appointed
to command the India station, but was recalled in
1854, and became an Admiral of the Blue in 1858.
In recognition of his services he was created a Com-
panion of the Bath in 1815, and Knight Commander
of Hanoverian Guelphic Order in 1836, receiving at
the same time the honour of knighthood. The de-
ceased was twice married—in 1816 to the
only daughter of the late Sir Godfrey
Webster, who, however, died in 1849, and se-
condly, in 1851, to the daughter of the late Comte
11dnard de Melfort, from whom he was divorced
in 1655* lie was appointed Naval Aide-de Camp
to the Queen in 1842.
The following
appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty
;_Commander WGH e John-
stone, to the Virago; Lieut. P, R, *Sharpe', to the
Excellent ; Lieut. H. B.
Wm. Hayden, master, additioiro°lll,:(B;
re. to the Warrior •
Donegal
mTphe rieu se;
Sub-Lieut. A. Watts, to the
surgeon, to the Excellent ; WOod. surgeon,mson,
to the Virago; and Jas. Vaughan, surgeOn, toth
Hero,