The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-14 00:00:00

THE METROPOLITAN GAS MONOPOLY.

ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE DELE-
GATES AND DEPUTATION TO ,THE SE-
CRETARY OF STATE.
Yesterday, the adjourned meeting of deputations
from the various metropolitan vestries and district
boards was held at the Marylebone Court-house,
for the purpose of taking further steps with respect
to the recent district arrangements by the London
Gas Companies, in the presentation of a memo..
rial to the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment, calling for the aid of the Government in
obtaining a Parliamentary inquiry into the gas
question generally, with a view to a protection of
the public by legislative enactment.
Dr. Bachhoffner, of Marylebone, presided. The
court-house was filled with the deputations, most
of the metropolitan districts being represented.
The CHAIRMAN observed that the committee
which-the delegates had appointed at their previ-
ous meeting bad completed their labours in draw-
ing up a petition to Parliament, which had been
printed, and that day forwarded their adoption to
the vestry of every metropolitan parish and dis-
trict board. The question was the next most ad-
visable course to be adopted to carry out their
objects.
Mr. BEALE, St. James's, said he thought there
were two further steps for the delegates to take.
The first was, to prepare a memorial to go to the
Home Secretary, and then to ascertain whea Sir
G. Grey would receive a deputation upon this sub-
ject. He thought, having prepared by a committee
their memorial, they should then ask the vestry
of Marylebone, to communicate with the
metropolitan members and the Home Secretary as
to a convenient time. Mr. Beale moved the fol-
lowing resolutions :
" That it be referred to a committee to prepare a
memorial for presentation to the Secretary of State.
That the Vestry of Marylebone be requested to arrange
with the Home Secretary and the metropolitan members
for presentation of such memorial to the Home Secretary
by the deputies from each vestry and district board.
That such committee be also requested continue their
labours by communicating with municipal corporations,
metropolitan board and vestries, and other public bodies,
control,s to s
and- w o rokns
and others, and obtaining information i
u a
in operation under municipal or
any other point they may deem essential in furtherance
of the object in view, and report on the same at any
future meeting."
Mr. JACKSON, of Wandsworth, seconded the re-
solutions, which were carried unanimously.
Mr. HOLLINGSWORTH, of Mile-end Old iown, in
-reference to the appointment of a committee, ob-
served that there were some districts not repre-
sented, and moved a resolution to the effect that
those parishes not represented at that conference be
written to and invited to be represented there and
on the committee, to the end that their complaints
may be fully explained and put forth.
This motion was sec mided, and after considerable
discussion, to the effect that every parish and dis-
trict board named in schedules A and B to the Me-
tropolis Local Management Act had already beets
invited, it was negatived.
The meeting then adjourned till the committee
were ready to present their memorial.

_PRESERVATION OF HAMPSTEAD
EI-EATIL

Yesterday a meeting was held at the Court-house,
Marylebone, Mr. James Traverner presiding, for
the purpose of finally considering the propriety of
petitioning Parliament to pass a special act for
effecting the purchase of Hampstead-heath and the
adjoining land as proposed, and thereby securing
djoining
to the public that delightful spot as a place of resort
and recreation:
Mr. GREENWELL, Vestry-clerk of St. Marylebone,
explained that at a previous meeting of the metro-
politan parochial delegates, it was resolved that, as
there was not sufficient time to adopt such proceed-
ings through the Metropolitan Board of Works
before the assembling of Parliament, the vestry of
Hampstead, who had taken a leading part in the
movement, should draw up the form of an act, and
place it before Parliament at the ensuing session.
The vestry of Hampstead had adopted that course,
and having made the way clear for the Metropolitan
Board, they now sought the support of that body
for the passing of the bill. Mr. Greenwell read the
copy of a memorial which was to be forwarded to
the Metropolitan Board by the vestry of Hampstead,
requesting the board to take immediate steps in the
matter, and, at the same time, drew attention to
the fact that a committee of the board bad recom-
mended the purchase of the heath as far back as
March, 1856, but nothing had as yet been done, to
the present time, towards effecting that desirable
object. The cost of purchase the committee had
estimated at from 150,0001. to 200,0001., to meet
which the committee urged that a portion should be
paid out of the public funds. The memorial like-
wise drew the special attention of the board to the
several attempts which had been made to build on
Hampstead-heath, and contended that it was a
matter of expediency, both in a pecuniary point of
view and for the security of the property, to at once
effect the purchase.
After some discussion it was resolved to me-
morialise the Metropolitan Board, in conjunction
with Hampstead and other parishes friendly to the
movement, for support in obtaining a logislative
enactment during the ensuing salmi", for the entire
purchase of the heath and the adjoining land.
On the motion of Mr. FREETH, seconded by Mr.
NIOHOLAY, a warm vote of thanks was passed to
the vestry and inhabitants of Hampstead for the
laud tble and active measures they had adopted for
securing Hampstead-heath to the public.
A vote of thanks was then passed to the chair-
man, and the proceedings terminated.

POPULAR CONCERT7MR. SAM COWELL.

A very successful concert was given in the theatre
here on Thursday evening, in which Sam Cowell
was the principal singer. He was supported by
Miss Susan Wight, a sweet, graceful contralto
singer ; by J. W. Keays, tenor, and Mr. F. Gough,
baritone. Though the weather was wet and stormy,
there was a large attendance. The renowned
6‘ Sam" was the star of the evening—comet we
should rather say, his vocalism being so eccentric
and extraordinary. If Edmund Kean was the
prince of trigeiy, and Grimaldi king of clowns, so
is Cowell unrivalled sovereign in the circles of
comic song. His "Artful Dodger" is a life-like
embodiment of the written sketch by Dickens and
the pictorial sketch by Cruickshank ; features,
dress, attitudes, and dialect are faithfully repro-
duced—the song and the figure that sings it are
equally graphic, and so amusing that ordinary
laughter cannot express their effect on the minds
of an audience. His sea pieces, in which he repre-
sents the queer appearance and odd ideas of the
humbler class of our jolly tars, betray still greater
art. Sam Cowell's instinctive appreciation of cha-
racter and imitative powers must be wonderful,
and his studious application must have been great,
to enable him thus to hit off these and other curio-
sities of our social existence. He has a capital
voice ; and in accompanying it on the piano Mr.
Keays evinced great taste and skill,thwijries
8 tandard.

P_ROMOTIO.

rE RANKS.

A writer in a contemporary says :

Notwithstanding all that has been put forward
in the Times and elsewhere in regard to the promo-
tion of deserving non-commissioned officers and men
from the ranks, it seems almost incredible that of
the very large number of vacant commissions con-
sequent on the casualties in India since the com-
mencement of the Sepoy mutiny only two or three
have been given to men from the ranks.

Would there were in the East your " Own
Correspondent," to whom the soldier and the public
owe so much for his Crimean records, to paint in
his graphic style the indomitable pluck and the
patient endurance of terrible privations our gallant
soldiers have manifested -; to chronicle how they
marched and toiled and faced the foe ofttimes in
the course of the day ; how they sank wearied in
the swamps, and thinned and staggering from
wounds and disease ; how they braced up their
loins and pressed forward as the avengers of inno-
cent blood. Surely some, nay, many of these
humble heroes are deserving of promotion, as re-
presenting their gallant comrades. Who will deny
there are many Jack Steels in her Majesty's regi-
ments now serving in India ?
But, alas ! there is no one there to advocate the
cause of the poor soldiers!, who—all due credit being
allowed to the officers for a faithful discharge of
their duties—have borne the burden and heat of
the day. How grievously their claims have been
neglected the fact of their having been almost
entirely ignored in the Gazette will only too fully
prove.
By referring to the Gazettes any one will see in
what way the vacancies have been disposed of. A
few have been granted to students of the Military
College. To such an appropriation within due
limits no Oae will object.
As if to draw off attention from the alienation of
the vacancies from the ranks of the regiments,
others have been filled up by young officers from
other corps, in which the chances of speedy promo-
tion are not so great as in those serving in India.

But the great majority of vacancies lately oc-
curring in Queen's regiments on the Indian
establishment have been given without purchase
to the generation of " gent," whose number is
legion. Very gentlemanly youths are these, no
doubt—tolerably well read and crammed ; but still
youths requiring months of drill and years of ex-
perience and growth to fit them in capacity and
stamina for the duties and hardships of harrassing
field service under a burning sun. Meanwhile the
duty must be done, and it is and will be virtually
performed for a long time to come by the non-com-
missioned offi ,ere, in lieu of whom they have been
promoted, and who will bear the brunt of the work
and exposure while the young ensigns are learning
the goose-step at Chatham. Not that it is implied
that in due time the young ensigns will be deficient
in gallantry and devotion. They are simply Use-
less while they are wanted in the field, and their
work is done by others who deserve to enjoy the
honour and reward of the much-coveted rank.
No one will deny that vacancies in regiments
serving in the field should be filled up at once, and
few reasonable men will doubt they they ought to
be filled up, in great majority at least, by dose',
ving soldiers on the spot,—men trained to war, of
sound constitution, good charapier, and possessing
a fair education. Of such there are many in India.
The better pay and position of the soldier in the
East, with the (too long deferred) hope of advance-
ments, attract many well educated and respectable
young men thither. An ensign can live on his pay
anywhere in the field, and can always, with proper
management, keep out of debt in India. So that
in no sense would promotion from the ranks be an
injury to the individual or to the service ; while
its denial to these gallant and enduring men is a
crying injustice against which they hope you will
wage war a l'outrance, and give the " authorities"
no peace until a fair share of the rewards is given
to those who bear the brunt of the toil, the dangers,
and the privations of war.