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

PRESERVATION OF HAMPSTEAD
HEATH.

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
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. Green well 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 had 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 200,000/.; 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 legislative
enactment during the ensuing session, for the entire
purchase of the heath and the adjoining land.
On the motion of Mr. FREETH, seconded by Mr.
NICHOLA.Y, a warm vote of thanks was passed to
the vestry and inhabitants of Hampstead for the
laud .ble 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 CONCERT-MR. SAM COWELL.

A very successful concert was given in tho theatre
hero 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
" 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 tragedy, 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 lie 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..—Lumfries
Standard.