60 / 132
52
The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
[DEC., 1908
Franks, 174; A. L. Blood, 170; M.
J.
O'Connor, 163;
J. Galloway, 162 ;
J. G.
Fottrell, 155; R. G. Warren, 152; T. W.
Fitzgerald, 133; C. G. Gamble, 132; R. B.
White, 122. And the following to
form a
supplemental list to fill vacancies:—i. I. J.
Rice, 122.
2. E. R. Bate, 122.
3. T. H. R.
Craig, 121.
THE PRESIDENT in moving the adoption
of the annual report, said : — I wish to refer
with much regret to the deaths of two members
of the Society which have taken place during
the year now drawing to a close—Mr. Edward
D'Alton, for many years a member of the
Council, and Mr. Robert Longfield, also a
former member of the Council, both of whom
had filled the office of Vice-President of the
Society. The Society this year numbers 739
members, an increase of only ten over last
year's membership—a very
small
increase.
I think it greatly to be regretted that such
a large proportion of the profession should
elect
to
remain outside
the Society, cut
off from
the advantages which attach
to
membership.
I cannot for one moment
think that the requisite payment of the small
subscription of
£i
a year
is
responsible
for this state of affairs.
It must arise from
carelessness or apathy, or a blind perception
of their own material interests. Membership
carries with it the distinction that all the
members tacitly agree to be bound by the
unwritten
law of honour and professional
etiquette, and
these
good
influences
are
reflected from one member to another. How
much stronger would be the position of the
Society if it could speak with the voice of the
whole profession, whenever the Council had
to make
representations on
its behalf to
Parliament or the Government (hear, hear).
It is not right that so many members should
remain outside the sphere of the Law Society
and of its members, and yet be able to reap all
the benefits to be derived from the labours of
the Council and
from
the expenditure in
defence of the rights of the profession without
contributing to the general expenses of the
upkeep of the Society.
I would be in favour
of
two
reforms :-^(i) That every solicitor
should, on taking out his annual certificate,
pay
£\
to the Society, or, in other words, that
£i
should be added
to
the cost of his
certificate (hear, hear) ;
(2) That the public
ought to have some means oi knowing those
solicitors who are members of the Society,
and . who have submitted themselves to its
rules and
influence, .
and
that all country
.volbind
..'
.
.
;
.-,71
,fi):
members who have plates on their doors should
put after their names—"M.L.S."
I believe
that many people in the country are under
the erroneous impression that all solicitors
are members
of
the Society.
I would
earnestly invite all non-members to join, so
that the Society and profession might form
one homogeneous whole (hear, hear). The
outgoing Council have not been unmindful
of the interests of the profession. One of
their
first acts was
to pass a
resolution
expressing regret that the Land Commission,
in filling up the three existing vacancies in
the office of Examiner of Titles, had ignored
the claims of the profession, notwithstanding
the repeated promises which had been made
that such claims would receive consideration.
Although under the provisions qf the Statute
the appointment of solicitors as Examiners
of Titles in the Irish Land Commission is
authorised, yet, during the last twenty-seven
years all those appointments have been given
to barristers.
Let us hope that the Board
of the Irish Land Commission will repair this
injustice whenever a vacancy in the office
may next occur
(hear, hear).
Resolutions
were passed from time to time by the Council
urging the claims of the solicitor profession
to the appointment of Resident Magistrates.
Two practising members of our profession
have this year been appointed to the post.
I
feel
that our
thanks
are
due
to
the
Government for making these appointments
(hear, hear). We occasionally receive com
plaints from country members of conveyancing
work having been done by non-professional
persons.
In cases in which we find penalties
can be successfully sued for, we proceed for
their recovery; and we
invite the country
members in their own interests to be watchful,
and immediately to report to our secretary
any such cases as may come under their
notice.
I wish now to refer to a matter that
has been engaging the anxious consideration of
the Council, I may say continuously since the
month of January last. Budgets of complaints
have been lodged by members of our profession
against the system of taxations of costs of
owners adopted by or under the direction of
the Local Government Board in the case of
compulsory acquisition of land by Rural District
Councils
for
sites
for labourers' cottages.
The usual practice is for the District Council's
solicitor to require the landlord's solicitor to
furnish him with an abstract of his client's
title to the plot or plots of land. The land
lord's solicitor
is
required
to satisfy
the