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The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
[D'fec., 190?
didate, and be in a position to vote either for
one he knew or one working along the same
lines as himself. The effect of the alterations
would be that in future the 347 members ad
mitted within the last seventeen years would
have one-third of the total representation, or
the same as the other Classes. In his opinion;
if the amendments were made, it would pre
vent cliques; they would force an interest
in the younger members on the older, and a
corresponding interest in the older on
the
younger, and they would stimulate interest in
the class of members at present most apathetic.
MR. HENRY said he conceived the true
principle of representation for any electorate
was—to put a concrete case—that the Council
should represent the greatest number of voters
as expressed by the ballot. His first objection
to the suggested amendment to the by-laws
was that it restricted and limited the liberty
and freedom of the members, not only as can
didates for membership on the Council, but
also as electors. As between two candidates,
the person
in whose favour there was the
largest record of votes should be elected to the
Council. He thought the converse to that
was equally true ; that is to say, that the greater
number of voters was entitled to representation
on the Council in preference to the lesser
number of voters.
If they made the qua
lifications suggested, the operation of the
proposed by-law would probably lead to the
disfranchisement of a certain portion of the
electorate.
The only true principle was to
adhere to the method of representation pre
scribed by their present by-laws, that was, that
the persons who got the largest number of votes
were to be elected on the Council.. The pro
posed alteration would also introduce com
plexity
and
confusion
into
the
election.
Furthermore, he objected to the proposed by
law, because it would introduce arbitrary and
invidious distinctions between members, and
h'e feared that it would tend to prevent the
'candidature of the men best fitted to represent
them on the Council. The distinctions would
foster antagonisms and would set class against
class, and they would be returning men not for
the common good but as representing sections
and classes.
MR. FRY said the position should not be
misunderstood. The Council had no close
borough.
Every individual member of the
Council had to stand for re-election at the
close of the year, and it lay with the consti-
-tuents to return any man they desired.
It had
been said there was a want of sympathy be
tween the Council and the younger members.
Well, at the recent election the senior mem
bers headed the poll. That showed that the
younger members at any rate did not consider
that their interests were neglected or in wrong
hands.
MR. P. J. BRADY said it struck him that the
Council regarded themselves as on their trial.
(No, no.) He only judged by the utterances
of the Vice-President and Mr. Fry.
As he
understood Mr. Rooney's motion, there was not
the least intention to attack the Council. What
lie understood Mr. Rooney to suggest was this:
that a certain class—he was afraid he was not
in it—was not adequately represented on the
Council, and that another class—the senior
class—was very well represented, and he (Mr.
Brady) hoped they would be always well repre
sented. But the junior class was not repre
sented, and he assured them there was a very
widespread feeling that that was so. It occurred
to him that some good results might be effected
if they had a little conference. They might be
able to see what could be done to remove the
grievances which many members of the Society
believed existed.
MR. GORE suggested as a way out of the
difficulty, that six members of the Council and
six members of the profession of over seven
years' standing be appointed a committee, to
inquire into the whole matter, and report to
next meeting.
MR. GERALD BYRNE said it was sug
gested that there was not new blood enough on
the Council in the last few years. Now he
happened to be elected on the Council in the
year 1902, and out of the thirty-one ordinary
members that were on the Council during the
last year, there were eleven new members who
were not on it in 1902.
That was a great
change in the last five years—an average of two
new members annually.
Everybody had a
right to vote for thirty-one members, and the
election was in the hands of the members, and
not in the hands of the Council. He did not
think any alteration was necessary.
THE PRESIDENT said there was really
nothing before the meeting to propose an
amendment to, but he could assure both Mr.
Brady and Mr. Gore that their suggestions
would
receive every consideration by
the
Council.
Personally he would be glad
to
confer with Mr. Rooney.
MR. BLOOD said there was absolutely no
combination on this 'question. The members
of the Council were all perfectly free to form
an
independent judgment.
He thought it