65 / 116
DEC., 1907]
The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
63
not attend to appeals until the entire Civil
Bill Sessions were over. The present Recorder
of Dublin had done a great deal to remedy
the bad state of affairs ; but these matters
could not be changed unless he were authorized
to do so by Act of Parliament, which change
would make
the Court a suitable one, and
more capable for the collection of small debts
in the City and County of Dublin. Of course
he was against the bringing of the Kilmainham
business into the City of Dublin ; but when
the Boundaries Act brought Clontarf and the
entire of the Kilmainham township into the
City of Dublin, he found it was much easier
for defendants in the remaining districts, viz.,
Rathmines and Howth, to attend at Green
Street than at Kilmainham, and the benefit by
bringing the entire district into the city would
give a monthly Sessions instead of the old
Quarterly Sessions.
He was,
therefore, of
opinion, for what his opinion was worth, that
the Kilmainham business ought to be tried in
the city, at Green Street, leaving all the other
divisions standing as they are at present.
SIR GEORGE ROCHE said he had very
few observations to make, and they principally
related to the working of the Land Act.
In
the first place, he thought they all admitted
that the Judge and the Commissioners had
done everything
to
facilitate
them, but a
block arose from the want of funds. There
were about Cooo originating applications and
requests lodged ; and of those only 2000 had
been disposed of in four years. At that rate
the applications now lodged would take eight
years before they could be dealt with.
That
was a very .serious matter, not only to the
landlords, but to the tenants. The landlords
were receiving considerably less than their
past
income, and the tenants were paying
much larger sums than they would have to if
their cases were closed. They all recognized
the difficulty the Government were
in, in
procuring the funds; but it was of the utmost
importance to the interests of the country that
the working of the Land Act should be placed
on a proper basis. He was pleased to see
that the Chief Secretary had withdrawn the
observations previously made by him, to the
effect that the delay was due to the lawyers.
He had now admitted that the delay was due
to himself, which meant, of course, that it was
due to the difficulties the Government were
in as to getting funds. Something ought to be
done to bring the system to work more expe-
ditiously.
There was only one other matter he wished
to refer to—that was the question of labourers'
schemes. It was regrettable that any solicitors
should take the work at a scale lower than
the fixed scale, which was most wretched.
Unfortunately in the country the question of
tendering for cases was going on, and had
been
strongly protested
against by
their
profession. He knew of one case where the
solicitor for a board said he would take the
work according
to
the scale, and another
gentleman said he would take it for
i>js.
in the
pound, or 15 per cent, below the 'wretched
scale. He certainly trusted that less than the
scale would not be taken, and they must, try to
get it increased.
MR. JAMES BRADY said he thought the
attitude of some of their professional brethren
with regard to the Labourers Acts and fees
was regrettable, and, to his mind—he said
it deliberately—the action of those who sought
to tender at a lesser price than the schedule
was really tantamount to a bribe offered to
guardians of the poor to get the work done at
a cheaper rate than the allotted scale.
In his
opinion that would come within the purview
of the Corrupt Practices Act, and ought to
be dealt with in that way.
In reference to
Mr. Byrne's remarks as to the membership
of the Society, they heard constant complaints
about the subject.
It was a matter for regret
that even members of the Society did not think
it worth their while to vote.
It was sad, but
the fact remained that there was a sort of in
attention to, and want of interest in, the affairs
of the profession. As to how that was to be
remedied, one did not well know the best
course to take.
Some seemed to think that the
Council did not look after the interests of the
profession sufficiently. Well, he had
that
opinion for many years himself ; but since they
started a
little agitation, and got on
the
Council some of those they conceived to be
popular members of the profession, he was
bound to say that, as far as he could see, there
was no ground whatever for complaint (hear,
hear) regarding the admirable and splendid
work which the Council had been doing for
some years past (hear, hear).
Mr. Byrne had referred to the Recorder's
Court and
to
the work. Well,
they who
practised in that Court found it essential in
their own interest to start the Green-street Bar
Association. He became one of the honorary
officers of the Association. The same laxity
had grown up amongst them there, and they
could not even have meetings held. There
seemed to be a want of interest amongst the