The Gazette 1912-13

The Gazette of (he Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

[DECEMBER, 191i

said :—I wish to refer to the fact that seven gentlemen, who were members of this Council for a great number of years, do not present themselves for re-election. Everyone of these gentlemen is a great and serious loss to the Council (hear, hear). They are Mr. Thomas Franks, Mr. William Fry, Sir George Roche, Sir John P. Lynch, Mr. Lyster, Mr. Meredith, and Mr. Bland, each of whom, save one, has acted in the position of President of your Society. The great experience, the calm deliberations, and wise counsel of these men, who have taken such an active part in the interests of the profession must be a serious loss. However, when pressed to remain upon the Council, their unanimous decision was, that they thought that they had done their part of the work, and it should devolve upon younger men to take it up ; and I am glad to see so many influential, active and energetic men have been chosen to replace those friends of our profession who have not sought to be re-elected. As to the report which has been circulated, you will see, although there is an increase in the membership of the Society, it is not sufficient as compared with the number of practising Solicitors on the Roll, and in these days of combination and Trades Unions it is of the utmost necessity that all Solicitors practising in Ireland should become members of the Society. See what powerful influences Trade Unions have, see the powerful influence of the Medical Association in dealing with what they consider the unfair provisions of the Insurance Act. The architects, the accountants, the engineers, and all other professions to a man almost have the members of their profession as members of their Society. There is entirely too much apathy about the Solicitors' profession. The inroads that are attempted to be made upon it, and which sometimes succeed, demand a strong phalanx to repel them, and it is by every member of the profession joining the Society that they will be able to withstand ungenerous and unjust attacks. I therefore ask my brethren who have not joined to do so without delay (hear, hear). County Court practice in Ireland is an important matter, and I am glad to be able to say that my promise to the Society last May, that I would press on the matter, has been fulfilled, for we have sent to the Lord Chancellor our observations upon the County Court Judges' suggested amend­

ments of the existing law, and upon their suggested amendments of our Bill which seeks to amend the existing law. He will submit them to the Chief Secretary, who will then consider the propriety of making the Bill a Government measure. The Coroners Inquests (Railway Fatalities) Bill, 1912, which sought to allow unqualified persons, instead of qualified Solicitors, to act at inquests, is an instance of the inroads sought to be made on our profession. I highly approve of working- men having legal rights to combine together for the well-being of their trades union and make rules for themselves, which rules include not allowing their members to work in common with men who are non-union men ; but I protest that their unions should " practice what they preach " (hear, hear), and not seek to act as Solicitors unless they become Solicitors. We should get protection in these matters from Parliament. We pay heavy fees to become Solicitors, spend years in study, and pass examinations of a very severe nature in classics and law. We pay a heavy annual tax called certificate duty. Nearly all the money goes for the upkeep of the nation, and we will ever struggle against, what I may call by the common but expres sive name of " blackleg labour ; " and I again urge upon the profession the necessity of every member joining to assist us in our determination. I am happy to say that owing to our action the County Court printed.lists of Sessions and business is again issued and arrangement made for the expenses of same. The Bankruptcy Bill, which would have enabled traders in other countries to be adjudicated by the London Courts and the investigating of the cases carried on there, will be amended at our instance, and Ireland will be excluded from the operation of the Act (hear, hear). I cannot pass from this portion of my address upon the report without giving the thanks of our Society to our fellow-member of the Council, Mr. Patrick J. Brady, M.P., who has, through his position in Parliament rendered yeoman service to our profession and the public (hear, hear). He is in constant touch with your President and Secretary, and we are thus enabled to have early information of attacks and inroads likely to be made upon our profession, and thus take time by the forelock. As will be seen from the report, your Council have been