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the profession has been remarkable. His good

nature and kindness have been always appreciated

and his sound judgment on our difficult questions

has been generally followed. The profession, how–

ever, owe him deep gratitude and the Council have

decided to mark the occasion in a suitable manner.

Mr. J. Travers Wolfe has been fifty years quali–

fied and is a very old member of the Council and

was our President three years ago. Mr. Wolfe was

one of the ablest solicitors that Ireland has pro–

duced and the number of kind acts he did in the

Council and outside are very well known. On the

death of certain solicitors he conducted the

businesses of the deceased, free of charge, for the

benefit of the widow and children until some son

was qualified to take up the work. That is the sort

of brotherhood I like to see among the members.

The men I have just mentioned were exceptional

characters and I wish I could hand down a survey

of their characters as a shining light to guide the

generation of solicitors who will be our successors.

My predecessor, Mr. Hamill. and the Council,

got the Government to accept a sixty per cent,

pass in our Final Examination as equivalent to a

University Degree for those who seek appoint–

ments in the Irish Civil Service. That was a

valuable achievement, but I fear it will not do

much towards helping the numbers who join the

ranks. The Government are

inclined to take

advantage of the fact that young solicitors will

work for very small salaries.

At the conclusion of the President's speech, Mr.

D. D. MacDonald drew attention to the position

arising in appeals to the Supreme Court heard by

four judges where members of the Court are

equally divided in their opinions and suggested

that all such appeals should be heard either by

three or five judges. He also referred to the

necessity in the Circuit Court of making an

application for a case stated before judgment has

been delivered.

The President replied to the points raised.

Mr. Cox having been moved to the second chair.

Mr. Hayes proposed and Mr. Wolfe seconded a

vote of thanks to the President for his address.

The motion was passed with acclamation. The

President having replied, the proceedings ter–

minated.

MR. WILLIAM S. HAYES

IN Trinity Term, 1884, Mr. William S. Hayes was

admitted a solicitor. He was elected a member of

tiie Council in 1894 and has been re-elected each

year since then without interruption. He served as

President of the Society in 1906-1907. It is un–

necessary to refer to the great part which he

has during all these years played in the affairs of

the Society and of the profession. In the present

year he will complete his sixtieth year as a solici–

tor, and his fiftieth year of continuous service on

the Council.

The Council feel that such a golden jubilee,

which is unique in the history not only of this

Society, but, perhaps, of any other, and which is

unlikely to recur in the lifetime of the present

generation, if indeed ever, should be commemora–

ted by some appropriate tribute to Mr. Haycs' long

and devoted service to the profession, and his

distinguished record as one of its leaders. They

believe that in sponsoring this proposal the}' will

have the warmhearted approval and support of

the entire profession.

In the opinion of the Council the tribute woidd

most fittingly take some form such as will record

for future generations of solicitors the association

of Mr. Hayes with the Society.

After full consideration the Council have re–

solved to commission Mr. Leo Whelan, R.H.A.,

one of Ireland's most distinguished painters, to

paint the portrait of Mr. Hayes, which on its com–

pletion will be unveiled at a simple ceremony and

hung permanently in the Society's premises.

The Council, therefore, acting on behalf of the

profession generally, have directed me to invite

the members of the Society, and any other solici–

tors who would so desire, to subscribe to the cost

of the portrait. If the required amount should be

over-subscribed, the surplus will be paid to the

funds of the Solicitors' Benevolent Association.

The Council consider that the portrait executed

by this eminent Irish painter will, in addition to

being a tribute to Mr. Hayes, add to the dignity of

the Society, and they feel confident that the pro–

fession as a whole will be anxious to subscribe to

it. Subscriptions, which are limited to one guinea,

should be addressed to the Secretary, Incorporated

Law Society of Ireland, Solicitors' Buildings, Four

Courts, Dublin.

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