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The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
[DECEMBER, 1913
year—that is to say, the alteration of the
terms in connection with the Easter and
Whitsuntide holidays.
You are all aware
of the intolerable inconvenience and waste of
time that took place in consequence of these
holidays occurring in term.
I am glad to say
that the rule which appears in the Report has
now become a Statutory rule.
STATUTORY COMMITTEE.
There is only one other matter to which
I would make any special reference, that
is the paragraph in the Report in con
nection with the jurisdiction exercised by
the Statutory Committee.
I am very glad to
say that during the past year not a single case
has resulted in a report to the Lord Chancellor
(applause).
I think that fact speaks well for
the honour and honesty of the profession to
which we all belong.
I have the honour to
submit this Report, and I will ask you to
adopt it (applause).
MR. DENNING seconded the motion, and
said that the President had covered the
ground so well that it was impossible for him
to add anything to it.
SIR GEORGE ROCHE congratulated the
President and the Council on
the very
satisfactory Report which had been sub
mitted. He regretted to find amongst the
recent deaths those of two Lord Chancellors.
The late Lord Ashbourne always took the
deepest interest in their profession.
Lord
Chancellor Barry did so also, but he was only
a short time in office. He wished to refer,
with regret also, to the death of Mr. Edward
Fitzgerald, who was President of the Society,
and for whom he entertained the greatest
respect.
They had both started together.
The late Mr. Fitzgerald was a gentleman who
occupied a very high position in his profes
sion, and he was sure they all tendered his.
family their deepest sympathy (hear, hear).
He desired to refer to circulars sent out
with respect to the election of members of
the Council, in which certain statements were
made with reference to appointments which
it was alleged could have been secured for
members of the profession if proper repre
sentations had been made by the Council;
and he said while members of the profession
did not get as many appointments as could
be wished, the appointments which had been
obtained were secured
in consequence of
representations made by the Council. With
regard to the education of 'apprentices, he
really did not- know what there was to
complain of on the subject. But he was sure
all these matters would be dealt with by the
incoming Council. He would not refer further
to the sending out of circulars relative to the
election on the Council ;
that was a matter
of taste. He referred to these matters, in a
friendly way only, but he thought it right to
say that such statements should not be made
lightly and without foundation (hear, hear).
MR. CUSSEN said a memorandum 'had
been prepared by him at the request of a
number of solicitors in the country.
It was
not a circular, but it was prepared and
printed for circulation.
For a considerable
time past there had been a strong under
current of feeling running through the minds
of country solicitors
to
the effect
that
Councils
in
the past had not given the
attention which they ought to have given to
the
interests
of
the
country
solicitors,
especially with regard to small appointments.
It was suggested that in the case of such
appointments as clerkships in the Legacy
and Succession Duty Office an effort should
be made to keep them open for solicitors.
It was also felt that the country members
who pay ten shillings per annum to the •
Society should be allowed to vote at the
election of ordinary members of Council.
MR. JAMES BRADY said the County
Courts Bill seemed to be a never-ending
subject, so far as the Society was concerned.
He thought that having regard to the Chief
Secretary's reply the conference between the
County Court Judges and the Council should
have been held sooner than yesterday or the
day before. He did not see why any Govern
ment should be blamed for that. He also
suggested that they should get into touch
with certain members of the profession who
were also Members of Parliament, and who
had put down amendments to the Bill, with
a view of seeing what exactly they wished to
be done. He was quite sick of the County
Court Bill, and thought it should be ended or
amended.
With reference
to
the sending out of
circulars, the speaker complained that the