21 / 116
, 1907]
The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
gation of title, were far and away more qualified
than barristers were for these posts. He also
wanted to know why solicitors were persistently
excluded from the position of Resident Magis
trates. Representations were made the other
day to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on
behalf of the profession with regard to doing
away with the annual licence of ^9 or
£6,
and he practically gave a point-blank refusal.
Here were they, a profession that paid over
;£i 0,000 a year, and income tax, and paid very
considerably to the Revenue, and yet they did
not get the slightest concession. With all
respect to
the Council, he thought
these
matters were not pressed with sufficient vigour
upon the Government.
Mr. Henry, Vice-President,
said
if Mr.
Rooney examined their Charter, on which the
by-laws were based, he would find probably an
insuperable difficulty to restricting the selec
tion of candidates
for membership on the
Council. As to the point that they had an
inordinate number of Dublin solicitors on the
Council, he wished to point out that they had
four provincial delegates and ten extraordinary
members—members of the Northern and
Southern Law Associations. That was a strong
representation from the country. He thought
it would be a disastrous thing if the senior
members of the Council were compulsorily
retired.
Mr. William Geoghegan said if a large pro
portion of the experienced members of the
Council were compelled to retire, the result
would be exceedingly injurious.
Mr. Fry said he wished members knew of
the enormous amount of hard work the Council
got through, and the hours spent by the mem
bers looking after the interests of the society
and the profession. They were living in a
democratic age, and why should it be suggested
that their rights should be restricted in the
way proposed ?
He did not know why any
solicitor in Ireland should not have the power
of nominating whom he liked for a position on
the Council. The Council
invariably gave
deep consideration to every matter brought
before them.
It had been suggested they had
not been energetic enough in insisting on their
rights, but they must remember they had very
few members of their profession in Parliament.
The late Sir William Findlater, while in Par
liament, was one of their mouthpieces; but
they could not make Members of Parliament.
They had done their best to trv to bring pres
sure to bear on the Government as regarded
the Resident Magistracy being thrown open
to their profession, and they had done the best
they could as regards the Land Commission.
Mr. Gore did not look with favour on the
suggestion
that
retiring members
of
the
Council should not be eligible for re-election.
He would go even so far as to advocate a plan
that only one-third of the Council should retire
each year, instead of the whole body, and that
they should be eligible for re-election.
Mr. A. Lane Joynt advocated more frequent
meetings of the Society. He thought there
should be one rate of subscription
to the
Society for all members.
Mr. J. P. Lynch said he was glad of the
discussion which had taken place, and stated
that the original suggestion had not come from
the Council, as he had been responsible him-,
self alone for it. He hoped there would be an
increase in the number of members.
-<T{
Mr. Gerald Byrne said that he had thought
over the suggestion made originally by Mr.
Lynch, and to-day by Mr. Rooney, and he
considered that the proper way of electing the,
'Council was
the present
one—that every
November all should retire and be eligible for
re-election, and the electors could choose
whom they please from those nominated.
:
The President replied, and pointed out that
almost every year there were new members
elected upon the Council.
During the past
five years eleven new members had been elected
upon it, and there were now on the Council
only eight of those who were on it when he
was first elected a member of it. He also
pointed out that, in addition to the country
delegates, there were five ordinary members of
Council closely connected with the business
of the County Courts.
Mr. Henry, Vice-President, having been
moved to the second chair,
[ i[f
On the motion of Mr. Lynch, seconded by
Sir George Roche, a vote of thanks was passed
to the President for presiding.
.;:
Meetings of the Council.
THE Council met on Wednesday, ist May. ••'"'
The President (Mr. W. S. Hayes) in the
chair, and twenty-three other members were
present.
A letter was read from the Lord Chancellor
in reply to the resolution which had been sent
to him in regard to the appointment of Chief
Clerk, intimating that, in making an appoint
ment to the office he had borne in mind the*