The Gazette 1909-10

55

DECEMBER, 1909] The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

point he wished to touch on was as to the number of members. The number was put down as 756, which was not quite one-half of all the Solicitors in Ireland. Everyone realised the fact that the efforts of the Society were in the interest of the profession as a whole, and it was, there fore, regrettable that metre members did not come in. MR. PATRICK J. BRADY said he was glad the Vice-President had called attention to this matter. He (Mr. Brady) learned from their Secretary that there were 1,570 practising Solicitors in Ireland, and he thought it was very much to be regretted indeed that so many of them had not joined the Society. There was a motion of his (Mr. Brady's) in reference to that matter later on in the Agenda, and he did not know whether it would be necessary to move it, because he was not asking in that to make membership compulsory, but he was simply asking the Council— THE PRESIDENT: Of course you are referring to the notice under your name, and I have to state that unless some gentleman here raises any objection to it, the Council see none, and are prepared to consider the matter, and think that this resolution might be adopted. The resolution is :—" That the " Council of the Incorporated Law Society " consider the question of compulsory " membership of the Society in the case of " practising Solicitors, and report thereon to " the meeting of the Society to be held in " May next." MR. PATRICK J. BRADY, proceeding, said it was very much to be regretted that the expression of regret in the report was a hardy annual, and it was to be deplored that it should be neces sary to introduce it at every Annual Meeting as regarded the lack of membership. The work of the Society was of enormous importance, and there should be co-operation in their movements and efforts. They were, to a certain extent, a little commonwealth, and much depended on the united action of individual members (hear, hear). The President had pointed out in a very forcible manner the advantage to be derived from membership of the Incorporated Law Society. He had referred to the Labourers Acts' fees. Only a little while ago a professional storm

fee allowed in respect of costs of each occupier, and these would not, of course, remunerate or repay the occupier for the expense which he would be put to if he had to make title ; but I thought, rightly or wrongly, that all occupiers, all tenants were becoming, fast becoming, purchasers of their holdings, and that the scale for owners and lessees would apply—as admittedly it does to all holdings which have been purchased under the provisions of the Land Purchase Acts ; and I thought also it would apply, and I believe it should and must apply, to all occupiers in respect of whose holdings agree ments have actually been lodged, whether the sales have been carried through or not, but whose agreements have been actually lodged in the Land Commission. That matter has apparently not yet been quite settled, as the Taxing Officer appointed by the Local Government Board raised an objection to taxing the costs in respect of a | plot taken from an occupier who had signed I an agreement under the scale applicable to | owners and lessees. That is a matter on j which I have made representations to the Local Government Board, and as they are still considering the matter, and have been sent the advice of Counsel, which was ! obtained by this Council, I think I had better pass from it. But the Order as issued in July, 1909, I approved of, after considering all matters that might be said for and against ! it, hoping that by concessions by the members of our profession we might help on this Labourers Act, and that, on the other hand, it would prevent friction in the future such as there has been in the past (hear, hear). Of course I know that there will be some cases of hardship, especially with regard to the occupiers, but I thought that those would be few and would rapidly diminish as existing tenancies and the occupiers became pur chasers, or entered into purchase agreements. The report contains other matters, such as the Irish Land Bill. With regard to these I do not propose now to occupy your time. The Irish Land Bill will pass, but in ; what form I certainly don't know, there have been so many amendments inserted. I With these remarks, I beg to move the i adoption of the report (applause). MR. C, ST. G, ORPEN (Vice-President) seconded the motion, and said the only