Mr. Healy has carried Monaghan for Mr. Parnell, receiving 2,376
votes, or within 262 of a clear half of the registered electors. His Tory rival, Mr. Monroe, obtained 2,011 votes ; and the Liberal, Mr. Pringle, only 274, an instance of political ingrati- tude hardly parallelled even in Ireland. Mr. Healy, it will be perceived, received more votes than both his opponents put together, The election was fought out altogether on the agrarian dispute. Mr. Healy said nothing of Home-rule, still less of Irish Independence; but promised that the Land Act should be im- proved in the tenants' interest, even if the land did not actually pass to the tenants. Mr. Monroe also was compelled to accept the tenants' programme, but did not promise them the land. It is said that almost every Catholic vote and 300 Protestant-votes were given to Mr. Healy, but the ballot keeps its secret, and religion had very little to do with the matter ; Mr. Healy is not exactly devout, and lies with his party under the direct censure of the Pope for calumniating worthy men, stirring up law- breakers, and omitting to protest against outrage-mongers. The electors of Monaghan care nothing about that, or anything else, except low rents,—an ominous sign for the future of Ireland.
