The Galway election, or perhaps we ought to say pantomime,
has resulted in the return of Mr. A. Lynch. the Nationalist candidate, by 774 votes. Mr. Lynch polled 1,247 votes and Mr. Horace Plunkett 473. The result is a gain of a seat to the Nationalists. We very greatly regret that Mr. Horace Plunkett should not hem Parliament, for we believe him to have done, and to be doing, splendid work for Ireland—work that ought to win the approval of all Englishmen and all Irishmen —but we should prefer to see him sitting for some worthier constituency than Galway. In our belief, he would serve Ireland best if he sat for an English or Scotch constituency. Mr. Lynch, the elected Member, is said to have been Colonel of the Transvaal Irish Brigade, but the nature and extent of his military achievements seem somewhat in doubt. In truth, the whole election has been a farce, as it could not help being when towns so tiny as Galway are allowed to send a Member to the British Parliament. We hope that the episode will serve as an object-lesson to those Englishmen—if there are any except the Lord Chancellor and Lord James—who think that the over-representation of Ireland is a palladium of the Constitution, to be defended at all cost.
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