The Gazette 1916-17

THE GAZETTE O9 THE 0f

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Vol. X, No. 2.]

June, 1916.

r FOR CIRCULATION L AMONGST MEMBERS.

Half-Yearly General Meeting. THE Half-yearly General Meeting of the Society was held in the Solicitors' Buildings, Four Courts, Dublin, upon Tuesday, 16th May, Mr. Charles St"..George Orpen, President, in the chair. The following members were also present : Messrs. ]. .H. Walsh (Vice-President), A. H. S. Orpen (Vice-President), A. E. Bradley, P. J. Brady, M.P. ; J. H. Callan, G. Collms, W. H. Fry, C. G. Gamble, W. S. Hayes, M. L. Hearn, J. E. MacDermott, R. A. Macnamara, James Murphy, T. G. Quirke, I. J. Rice, W. V. Seddall, Henry Shannon, W. J. Shannon, VV. T. Sheridan, H. J. Synnott, Basil Thompson, R. G. Warren, R. Blair White, N. L. Moran, James Brady, S. M. Bell, J. P. Collins, W. J. Ryan, Charles Corcoran, Geo. Wheeler, J. G. Lidwell, M. J. O'Neill, Patrick Rooney, Q.. W. Kenny, J. G. Lidwell, E. S. Lowe, H. O'B. Moran, H. C. Neilson, Edwin Lloyd, John Read, J. W. Davis, David Dunne, O. E. Barber, H. D. Draper, W. J. Brett, P. Seales, and P. K. White. The Secretary (Mr. W. G. Wakely) read the notice convening the meeting, and also the minutes of the Half-yearly General Meeting held in November last, which latter were confirmed and signed. THE PRESIDENT nominated the follow ing members to act as scrutineers of the ballot for election of Council, to be held next November:—Mr. E. F. Collins, Mr. M. Dawson, Mr. E. N. Edwards, Mr. W. Geoghegan, and Mr. P. K. White.

MR. WALSH moved, and Mr. A. H. S. Orpen seconded, and it was resolved that the following be appointed Auditors of the accounts of the Society for the period from 1st May, 1915, to 12th May, 1916 :—Mr. W. W. Carruthers, Mr. David Dunne, and Mr. T. A. Ireland. THE PRESIDENT, the meeting, said that one of the matters to which the Council give special attention is that of unauthorised persons acting as Solicitors. I feel, he said, that the general body of Solicitors in Ireland do not realise this. We cannot proceed against an "illegal practitioner" unless we have proper legal evidence to ground our prosecution. Cases are reported to us ; but, when we ask the complainants to give evidence, they, not unnaturally I admit, do not wish to have their names mixed up with the prosecution ; thus we are powerless, and yet the complainants some times say : " We brought the facts before the Council, and they did nothing." During the last six months we successfully prosecuted in the King's Bench Division an illegal practitioner, and the delinquent was imprisoned. The Council are determined, as far as in them lies, to'stop all infringe ments of the rights of Solicitors. Here are we working for the benefit of all the Solicitors in Ireland--and all the Solicitors in Ireland, whether they be members of the Incorporated Law Society or not, enjoy the benefit of our labours. Is this reasonable ? Surely every Solicitor in Ireland who is worthy of the name, should in addressing President's Address.