17 / 110
JUNE, 1912]
The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
15
but as a member of the Council. The Council
considered that ^the , matter was ^receiving
consideration, and did not think ^that the
delay was^so^serious as some^of the speakers
seemedJio'think. Mr. Birrell had not flouted
the Incorporated Law Society, as in his last
letter he had /told them that he would
submit to the Society the report which he
would receive from the County Court Judges.
He could not see the unreasonableness of
consulting the County Court Judges, who
were the people who had been working the
procedure in the past, and who must be alive
to the difficulties which it entailed. It would
be surprising if the Government were to pass
over the County Court Judges in considering
the matter. They had already had reports
from the Chambers of Commerce, therefore
it was not necessary
to go any further
in that direction. Why should they call upon
them to have meetings again to do what they
had already done ?
What they had to do
was to get the matter forward and see that
the promises given by Mr. Birrell to Mr.
Brady were carried out. He (Mr. Macnamara)
asked them not to pass the motion proposed
by Mr. Craig, and he, therefore, wished to
propose an amendment.
MR. CRAIG' May I say that, having
heard that statement from you, that the
matter will not be lost sight of, I am quite
prepared to withdraw any motion I brought
forward. The motion brought forward by
me is solely in the interest of getting some–
thing done.
It never crossed my mind that
it was a vote of censure on the Council, or
that it might be construed into an attack
upon the County Court Judges.
MR. MACNAMARA. I think it might be
better if this amendment were passed :
That the Society desires again to express
the
opinion
that
legislation
for
the
purpose of amending the existing law and
procedure of the County Courts in Ireland
is urgently required, and to express the
hope that the result of the reference of the
question to the County Court Judges of
Ireland to report upon, will be the intro–
duction, at an early date, by the Govern–
ment of a Bill dealing with the matter.
MR. BRADY. Does that mean we are
foregoing
the
Commission ?
Are
you
rescinding the solemn act of a representative
meeting ?
MR. MACNAMARA. We are not at all
rescinding the old resolution, but we are
dealing with the matter as it now stands.
By the letter from Mr. Birrell to Mr. Brady
it appears that when all these reports have
come in he will introduce a Bill.
MR. BRADY. Please add that to the
motion, and then there will be no objection.
MR.W. J. SHANNON. It would be better
to withdraw it altogether. Mr. James Brady
seems to think that if we pass this resolution
we will be going back on our
former
resolution.
THE PRESIDENT. The amendment has
not yet been seconded, and so, perhaps, it
would be as well to withdraw both the
motion and the amendment.
MR. MACNAMARA. If it be the sense
of the meeting that the motion be withdrawn,
then I withdraw the amendment.
MR. CRAIG. Having heard
the
ex–
planation, I withdraw my motion.
MR. JAMES BRADY moved the following
resolution :
" That inasmuch as permitting any person
" other than a qualified Solicitor to prosecute,
" conduct or defend legal proceedings in
" Courts of Justice on behalf of Government
" Departments, or Public Bodies,
is
a
" violation of the rights of the Solicitors'
" profession, and against the interests of the
" public, this meeting hereby requests the
" Government to take the necessary steps for
" the purpose of having repealed any sections
" in existing Statutes which purport
to
" empower officials who are not qualified
" Solicitors to act on behalf of any such
" Government Departments or Public Bodies
" in the conduct of legal proceedings insti-
" tuted in connection therewith, and further
" requests the Council of this Society to
" continue to take all necessary precautions
" to prevent the insertion of similar sections
" in any future Statutes."
He said he felt convinced the motion
would not alone receive the whole-hearted
support of the meeting, but of the Council.
He also believed he would have the strong
support of the President of the Society, than
whom there was no wanner advocate of the
rights and privileges of
the profession.