12 APRIL 1879, Page 3

Mr. Justin M'Carthy, the author of the successful book which

we recently reviewed, called "A History of Our Own Times," has been returned without a contest for the county of Longford, in the place of Mr. Myles O'Reilly, who has accepted an educational post in Ireland. Mr. Justin M`Carthy is, we regret to say, a Home-ruler—has, indeed, been a sincere Home- ruler for a great many years—a condition, no doubt, sine quil ..non of an uncontested election for an Irish county; but he is also an acute and thinking man, a successful writer, and a sin- cere Liberal. Let us hope he may be able to breathe some- thing like thought and statesmanship into the rather chaotic and irrational knot of politicians to which it has pleased him to -unite himself.