The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-27 00:00:00

at t' he head of countless and enthusiastic myriads,
) had arrayed themselves under the banner of Free
Trs de, and they achieved a bloodless revolution.
T rhs I victory was gained over the mighty and power-
ft) d, over men abounding in wealth, rich in broad
ac re s, the only weapons employed being those of
ref son and argument. It was the men of Man-
ch, aster, the true representatives of the industrious,
po) ?ula.tion of the country, who gained the victory,,
awl to whom we are chiefly indebted for the abolition.
of w any restrictions on the trade and commerce of
the 'country.

0 ace more the veterans who participated in these
struggles are in the field, aided by young and.
vigc,rous men, anxious to discharge their duties
pats iots, and to be enabled to say to their children, sts
thei '7 parents did to themselves—" We, too, assisted in
the attainment of those reforms to which the welfare
and prosperity, the tranquillity and happiness of the
conntry is, under PROVIDENCE, mainly to be attri.-

bu tea." And the object is one of no less importa,lce
than those already alluded to. They met in the Fr ec-
trade Hall, the monument of their former triumphs,
but, although the spaciou3 building was construct 2d to
hold ten thousand persons, it was far too limitod to
accommodate, or even to contain, the multitudes who
flocked to its portals. Every portion of available
space was crowded to the very utmost, but numbers
were necessarily excluded, who continued to thunder
at the door in a fruitless attempt to obtain admission,
until the conclusion of the proceedings, when their
more fortunate brethren who had succeeded in gaining
standing room were called upon to narrate all that
had taken place to anxious groups of the excluded.
Each of those favoured individuals was invested with
a temporary importance, which insured him an at-
tentive auditory not only for the evening, but for a
much longer period.

This magnificent reception was given to a deputa-
tion from the National Parliamentary and Financial
Reform Association, to learn the progress that had
been made, and decide on the course to be followed with
respect to the new Reform Bill of 1852. That we
shall have a measure relating to the franchise cannot
be doubted, but whether it will prove acceptable to
the great body remains involved in mystery. What
we know of it is unquestionably favourable, for we
have the distinot, positive, and unequivocal promise of
the First Lord of the Treasury, of the introducer of
the Reform Bill of 1831, that one of its features shall
be the abolition of the property qualification of
Members of Parliament, the removal of the existing
restriction on the freedom of choice of constituencies,
who could not select the person whom they thought
best qualified to represent their wants and wishes,
unless he were in the enjoyment of a certain annua
income arising from accumulated and realized prof
perty. Incomes derived from the practice of any
learned profession, or the profits of manufacturing,
commercial, or trading pursuits, would be quite
sufficient to insure the visits of the tax collector
No distinction arising from the sources from whence
it was derived could be taken for fiscal purposes; but
it was widely different when any privilege was to be
conferred. Then, indeed, the profits of industry
were treated with contempt, and the man who ao-

quired thousands per annum by intellectual labour
was placed in an inferior grade to the illiterate and
booby possessor of three hundred pounds per annum.

And even if unanimously chosen by any English or
Irish constituency, he could not take his seat unless
he condescended to purchase the qualification, which
could notoriously be obtained for 501., or at the out-

side 1001., by any person willing to evade the law a
the land. We may, at all events, draw propitiow

auguries as to the other provisions of the new B.

from the certainty that this anomaly, at least, will be
removed.

There will also, unquestionably, be a considerable
extension of the franchise. The intimations to Mr.

LocKE KING, and other zealous reformers, which
induced them to forbear from following up
the successes they had achieved, removed all

doubt on this part of the case. But we are
ignorant, as yet, of the nature or amount of the contem-

plated extension, and it is necessary that the people
should speak out plainly and unequivocally on the
subject, and show the minimum amount with which

they will be contented. It is also necessary that they
should give expression to their sentiments on the im-
portant questions of the ballot, the duration of Parlia-
ment, and the more equal apportionment of Members
to population. The men of Manchester assembled on

Wednesday for that purpose, and the magnificent de.

monstration on that occasion roust have considerable

effect In resolving any doubts that may enter into the
minds of the framers of the new Reform Bill for

852.

SEARCH FOR SIR J. FRANKLIN.
The following important letter has been received
and posted at Lloyd's this morning :
" Felix Discovery Vessel, Stranraer,
" Sept. 25, 1851.
_

" am to acquaint you that the American
vessels Advance and Rescue, after wintering in the
ice in Baffin's Bay, put into Godhaven (Leifk) in
Disco, sailed from thence on the 21st June, 1851, and
were spoken off Proaen in Greenland on the 24th
August, on their way to America, after a fruitless
search after the missing ships. They have been
sickly, and lost one or two men, but were now all well.
" The Danish Government brig lloalfesken ar-
rived at Godhaven in company with the Felix on the
30th August, was to sail from thence on the 10,h
Sept. for 1(ron Prius Island, end thence to Copen.
hagen ; all well.

" The Felix parted with all the other discovery
ships on the 13th August, sailed from Godbaven on
the 2d September, and arrived here this day under my
charge.

Signed,