Dr. Duggan, Bishop of Clonfert, has been acquitted of conspiracy
to prevent the election of Captain Trench in the Galway election,—the one witness who swore to his intimidating language having been confronted by ten who swore that he never used any language of the kind ; and it is clear that the in Dr. Duggan's favour were of a higher and weightier- calibre than the single witness against him. The speeches of Mr Serjeant Armstrong against, and Mr. Heron for, Dr. Duggan were not edifying, but the verdict was the right one, and was indeed inevitable under the circumstances. It seems pretty well determined that the prosecutions will now be dropped. If a jury
could not be got to convict Father Loftus, it is not likely any one will be convicted ; and as the great accused has also been tried and been acquitted, it will be idle work going on with the prose- cutions. Political trials in Ireland are almost always vain, and always irritating.
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