The Gazette 1907-8

the Gazette of the incorporated Law Society ot Ireland.

[DEC., 1907

230; Sir A. F. Baker, 219; William Fry, 212;

F. C. E. Bland, 211; George Collins, 210;

Gerald Byrne, 207 ;

Richard S. Reeves, 206 ;

William

J. Shannon,

202 ;

Richard A.

Macnamara, 193 ; Charles St. G. Orpen, 193;

Barrington

Jellett,

191

;

Stephen

Brown, 188; John P. Lynch, 181 ; Henry J.

Synnott, 176; James A. Denning, 176; George

H. Lyster, 174; Charles A. Stanuell, 170;

John W. Richards, 170; fames Henry, 166;

A. Lloyd Blood, 164; William V. Seddall, 159 ;

Edward White, 157 ; Thomas C. Franks, 156 ;

William H. Dunne,

155

;

Frederick W.

Meredith, 154; Arthur E. Bradley, 150; Joseph

Galloway, 139; Michael J. O'Connor, 130;

R. G. Warren, 129 ; Stephen St. L. Burke. 125.

And the following to form a supplemental list

fill vacancies:—John G. Fottrell, 122;

J. R. O'Connell, 100 ; T. H. R. Craig, 99.

On the motion of the President, seconded

by Mr. James Henry, Vice-President, it was

resolved

that

the May,

1908, Half-yearly

General Meeting be held on Friday, 15th May,

instead of Saturday, i6th May.

THE PRESIDENT, in moving the adoption

of the Annual Report, said:—The duty of pro

posing the adoption of the report of the

Council for the past year now devolves on me ;

and, as the print of it has been sent to each

member, I presume I may take it as read.

Now, in the first place, it

is pleasing to

observe that there has been an increase in the

members, of whom we have 729 this year, as

against 713 last year.

A small increase no

doubt, but still an increase, and one which I

venture to hope may continue ; for the sphere

of influence of any society, and the weight of

its suggestions or protests, must largely depend

on its having the cordial support of the great

bulk of the members of the profession

represents, Io3'al to each other, and possessing

unity of purpose.

I fear, too, that many country members, of

whom we have only 295, as against 434 Dublin

members, are apt to approach the question of

membership from the point of direct personal

benefit.

It is not by the adoption of such a

narrow view

that men succeed • in any pro

fession ; but, even on the somewhat -narrow

aspect of direct personal benefit, I venture to

suggest that any Dublin solicitor selecting a

practitioner in a country town, or an English

or Scotch solicitor selecting one in Dublin or

the country, would be influenced by the fact

of membership.

Then again, another direct

inducement, apart from use of our premises

generally, is the library; for I see that apart

from readers in the library, 3392 books were

lent

to members during

the year, many

volumes having been sent to country members.

It is pleasant to be able to record the fact

that the position of Chief Clerk to the Lord

Chancellor has been restored to the solicitors'

profession. So soon as the Council heard the

post was likely to become vacant a resolution

urging the claims of the solicitors' profession

was sent to the Lord Chancellor; and the

appointment made has, I am sure, met with

general approval.

At last a solicitor has been appointed as

solicitor to the Inland Revenue. How it ever

came that the office of solicitor to a great

public department was filled by some one not

a solicitor is more than I could ever compre

hend. When we heard of the probable retire

ment of the courteous and much-respected

gentleman who, until lately, held the post—

a barrister, as you all are probably aware—we

sent

memorial to the Lords of the Treasury,

pointing out that the post,^s its name implies,

was one conversant with ffie work transacted

by solicitors, and that the Board of Inland

Revenue has a Standing Counsel and the Law

Officers of the Crown to refer to when neces

sary. Copies of this memorial were sent to

influential persons in authority.

I believe—.

indeed I know—that the claims of the soli

citors' profession were recognized by many

leading members of the bar; and now, by

appointing a solicitor to the post, an anomaly

of many years' standing has ceased to exist.

1 alluded at our last half-yearly meeting to

the post of Examiner to the Irish Land Com

mission. There are several Examiners, and the

statute specially authorizes the appointment of

a solicitor, but no solicitor has yet been ap

pointed, although I am aware that there are

suitable applicants from our ranks; however,

from the kind assurances received from the

judicial and other Commissioners that the

claims of solicitors will be considered, I am

sanguine our claims, when considered, will be '

recognized. At present I believe there are two

vacancies, and our secretary has again respect

fully reminded Mr. Justice Wylie of the strong

claims of our profession ; and from what we all

know of him I think we may rest assured that

all else being equal he will not pass over the

claim of the solicitors on this occasion.

Now, while we have been watching these

positions, which we modestly look on more or

less as prizes—something to be sought after—

we have not forgotten the general body of

practitioners. You will see we have success-