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(gas is supplied to the whole Parish by the Gas Light
and Coke Company (Chief Office, Horseferry Road).
The Coroner is Mr. John Troutbeck, whose jurisdiction
extends throughout-the City and Liberties of Westminster.
For the Registration of Births and Deaths the
Parish is included in the Westminster District The SubRegistrar
is Mr. Thomas Matthew Crowe, of 31, Wardour
Street ; and the Superintendent Registrar, Mr. Joseph
Bond, Union Offices, Poland Street.
THE VESTRY,
as now constituted under the Metropolis Local Management
Act, 1855, consists of 48 elected and three ex-officio
members, the latter being the Rector and Churchwardens.
It superseded a Vestry elected under the provisions of a
permissive statute, 1 & 2 William IV., cap. 60, which was
adopted by the ratepayers of St. James's on the 6th April,
1832. This elected Vestry had, in its turn, superseded a
select Vestry established by the Act under which the Parish
was created in 1685. The select Vestry was virtually a
self-appointed body, vacancies being tilled up by the surviving
members.
Neither the ancient select Vestry nor the Vestry elected
under the statute of 1831 had any jurisdiction over the
paving or drainage of the Parish. Each of these matters
was under the control of a separate and distinct body of
Commissioners. The Act of 1855 transferred to the Vestry,
as now constituted, not only all the powers of the earlier
Vestry, but also those relating to paving, drainage, and
lighting formerly exercised by these Commissioners. Sub-
b