The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-17 00:00:00

ST. PANCRAS VESTRY.

Yesterday a meeting of the vestrymen, guardians, and
directors of St. Pancras took place in the vestry-room of
the parish, and was numerously attended.
Mr. Churchwarden WAGSTAFF presided, and read the
principal heads of a letter addressed to the authorities of
the parish by the Poor-law Commissioners. This letter
occupied forty-one printed pages ; and led to a discussion
relative to the intention of the Poor-law Commissioners
of exercising their control by the dismissal of the pa-
rochial officers. Ultimately the following resolution was
proposed and adopted :—" That this vestry consider the
interference of the Poor law Commissioners on this
occasion unnecessary and uncalled for ; and as the power
assumed by the Pour-law Commissioners is contrary to
the provisions of the local Act for the government of this
parish, the vestry is of opinion that the order and regu-
lations of the Poor-law Commissioners are invalid, and
therefore recommend the directors not to carry out the
same."

Carried unanimously.
Mr. M'GAIIEY then read the report of the committee
appointed to decide on the measures to be adopted to-
wards Mr. Mills, the deputy coroner. In this report the
conduct of Mr. Mills was much censured, and legal steps
were recommended to be taken against him ; and
Mr. SMITH (the chairman of the committee) stated
that, as chairman, he felt bound to say that he did coin-
cide with the strong expressions of the report,
Much discussion ensued upon the motion for the
adoption of the report, and considerable diversity of
opinion was manifested. An amendment was at length
moved for the adjournment of the subject for one month,
which was carried on a division by a majority of 16 votes
to 11.

WESTMINSTER BRIDGE,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—ln the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 31, 1761, will
be found the following remarkable prediction:—
" Westminster Bridge is perhaps the most maiestic
pile of the kind in all Europe ; but, although it appears
strong, yet on a critical examination it is demonstrably
feeble. It is top. heavy, and too narrow for its height;
the piers are by no means proportioned to the weight
they sustain, nor do they take sufficient hold of the bed
of the river, but stand loosely on the bottoms of the
caissons they are built in, and, what is still worse, the
bed of the river, between all the
,piers, continues quite
open and unguardel ; the consequence of which must
be that, :ase any one part of the bed of the river
under any of the salient raigles of the piers proves softer
than the rest, which may not be ,improbable, then that
softer part must in time give way; and, though the
sinking may at present be imperceptible, even by a
plummet, yet the immense weight of the superstructure,
and the sandy footing of tie piers, will in time produce
a very disagreeable effect; whence it is evident that,
building piers in caissons is liable to
,great objections.
This, Sir, I think, beats " Mother Shipton " hollow.
J. H.

AWFULLY SUDDEN DEATH —Yesterday morning,
as Mr. William Wright, of Alill•hill, florist, was about
to rise from his bed, be was suddenly seized with an
apoplectic fit, and died instantly, without uttering a
word. The deceased was highly respected among a
numerous circle of friends in the neighbourhood of
Hendon. Deceased was fifty-six years of age, and on
the night previously was in the enjoyment of vigorous
health.

DECORATIVE ART SOCIETY.--The last meeting for
the season was held on Wednesday evening, at the rooms
of the society, in Great Marlborough-street, when the
chair was taken by Mr. Cooper. The evening was taken
up in the consideration of the construction of theatres,
a paper being read by the Chairman on the Italian Opera
House. The details of the Opera House excited a
lengthened discussion, in which Mr. E. T. Parris, Mr.
Crabbe, Mr. Seddon, and various other members took
part, giving the result of very extensive observations on
the leadiug contiaeutal theatres.