The Gazette 1946-49

that the Bill has now been drafted by the Parlia mentary Draftsman preparatory to its submission to the Government for introduction in Dail Eireann. It was ordered that representations should be made to the appropriate Departments asking that the Bill should contain provision for the remission of the annual licence duty similar to that already in force in England and Northern Ireland, and for the appropriation of the stamp duties payable on solicitors' apprentices' indentures and certificates of admission for the purpose of legal education of solicitors' apprentices. New Stamp Duties A deputation was appointed to seek an interview with the Minister for Finance to urge that the rates of stamp duties imposed on conveyances and trans fers of sales by Section 13 of the Finance (No. 2) Act, 1947, should be abolished and the rates there tofore in force restored. Legal Aid in Murder Cases THE President reported that, accompanied by the Vice-Presidents and the Secretary, he had attended at Government Buildings and been received by the Attorney General, and that representations had been made as to the inadequacy of the present contri bution of the State towards the costs of defence in assignment cases, supported by instances which had been brought to the attention of the Council. He stated that the Attorney General had promised to give the matter early consideration. Professional Etiquette A MEMBER wrote enquiring whether, in the opinion of the Council, he would be acting properly in attending on the executor and reading over the will to him, in a case in which he had prepared a will for the testator some years before his death, in which the testator's son was appointed sole executor. After the death of the testator he had received a letter from another solicitor stating that the latter had been instructed by the executor who was anxious to obtain particulars of the testator's will. No authority from the executor to hand over the will was furnished. It was ordered that the Secretary should reply stating that the solicitor who drew up the will would be entitled to write to the executor informing him of the letter which he had received, stating that no authority to hand over the will had been enclosed, and asking for the executor's direc tions in the matter, but that the solicitor should not attend on the executor to read over the will unless He instructed him to do so.

FEBRUARY 3RD. The President in the Chair. Also present: Messrs. Joseph Tyrrell, V.P., Joseph Barrett, V.P., J. R. Quirke, N. S. Gaffney, F. J. Gearty, A. J. Malone, William J. Norman, Henry P. Mayne, John Dundon, G. A. Overend, W. S. Hayes, Daniel O'Connell, Derrick M. Martin, John J. Bolger, L. E. O'Dea, William L. Duggan, Reginald J. Nolan, Roger Greene, Peter Woods, Dermot P. Shaw, A. Cox, Patrick F. O'Reilly, Thomas A. O'Reilly, D. R. Counahan, John J. Dunne. The following was among the business transacted: Undertakings THE Council considered a report from a committee on the subject of undertakings between solicitors. The report was adopted and a note on the matter is printed at foot of col. 2 of this page Court Stenographers' Charges THE Council considered a report as to the charges made by Court stenographers for attending on the trial of actions in the High Court and furnishing a transcript of the evidence. The matter was referred to a committee for consideration. Petrol for Solicitors IT was ordered that representations should be made to the Department of Industry and Commerce that solicitors should be given the same supplementary allowance of petrol as clergymen and medical practitioners. (See page 57 post) MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY THE Council have made representations to the appropriate authorities asking that on the consider ation of the merits of applicants for positions in the public service, for which solicitors are eligible, additional marks should be awarded, as between the solicitor candidates, for membership of the society. UNDERTAKINGS BETWEEN SOLICITORS IN view of the frequency with which undertakings are given and accepted on the completion of sales and other professional transactions the Council think it advisable to state their views on the obli gations of solicitors who give them. Such under takings are often unavoidable in order to get business completed, and unless reliance can be placed upon them solicitors will decline to accept them, with consequent delay and inconvenience to the public and the profession. The following, in the. opinion of the Council, are the general principles by which 54