The Gazette 1909-10

18

JUNE, 1909]

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

these monthly sessions overlap, and really before we finish these May Sessions we will have the June Sessions in on top of us, and so it goes on from month to month, with the result that I was alarmed to find I had in my office—I am sure Mr. Byrne and others have the-same experience—bundles of papers, relating to cases lying over, waiting the defences to be heard. If we are to have further legislation to make confusion worse confounded, I do not know what is going to be the result. But I think there should be more earnest effort and less talk to remove any diffi culties that at present may exist in County Court practice in Ireland. I am bound to say that gentlemen who talk from this Mercantile Association—well, beyond making efforts to recover bad debts, and when they fail tossing them into a solicitor's office to get collected at a percentage, they do not do anything. They throw the decrees to the Sheriff, and when there is a return of no goods, they growl. It is time for some inquiry to be set on foot, and that some independent gentlemen with courage should ascertain where there is any existing difficulty, and where there is any cause of complaint, and report here to this Council. Then let this Council report to the public on the subject and end this controversy which has been going on for the past six years. MR. D. A. QUAID: I think the Recorder's Court should be transferred to the Four Courts. When you have to instruct counsel, it is absolutely impossible to carry on under the existing system, as it is impossible to get counsel sometimes to go up there. Having regard to the extension of the jurisdiction of the County Courts, and particularly to the large volume of important business transacted by the Recorder, it would only be dignified, and would suit both branches of the profession, if that Court were in the Four Courts. I do not know what the Recorder's view would be, but I am quite certain if a representation were made to the Treasury, some arrangement might be made by which the transfer might be effected with great advantage to our profession and to the public. The proceedings then terminated.

not so. It was the opposition of another branch of our profession, but not the Solicitors' profession. We have asked what the objection to the Bill was, but we have not been informed. I only mention that because, since I became a member of the Council, I have refrained from writing letters to the Press, and therefore I desire to take this opportunity of refuting'those state ments. I am not doing this at the instance of the Council, though they were most anxious these Bills should pass, and are so still (hear, hear). MR. JAMES BRADY : Permit me to join my strong "protest against the unfair attacks made by certain gentlemen writing to the Press on the practitioners of Green Street Court. Not only did we give every assistance in our power, but we drafted amendments, and we sat for several days considering these amendments, and those are the amendments your Council adopted. Not alone were the amendments adopted by the Council, but the profession at large, throughout Ireland, endeavoured by all the means in their power to get the legis lation which those supporting it thought would be for the benefit of County Court practice. Whoever is responsible, the solicitors' profes sion in Ireland is in no way responsible (hear, hear). Mr. Craig.very ably dealt in the cor respondence with those gentlemen who made an attack especially on the Green Street prac titioners. Now, whatever may be the fault with regard to the delay caused by the existing practice in the County Courts throughout Ireland, there has been a lot of talk and humbug, and no practical effort has been made to introduce remedial measures. I think if an inquiry were set on foot, and that a committee of investigation inquired into the matter, it would be very easily and quickly ascertained where the difficulty is. I have no personal desire to express my own view here at the present moment, I should much prefer that a committee of investigation should be appointed to inquire with reference to all this talk and nonsense given expression to for some time past. My own belief is that business in the Recorder's Court was more quietly carried out, and carried out in a much more business-like manner, when we had the old Quarter Sessions existing. What happens now ? These monthly sittings now overlap each other and the busi ness gets intermixed. It is impossible for the presiding judge to undertake all the work which is cast on his shoulders owing to the action of those gentlemen who are protesting for more legislation. The result of it is that

Meeting of the Council.

May 5///. Presentation. A

resolution of thanks was to Sir A. F. Baker for his presentation of an passed