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the Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
[FEBRUARY, 1912
whose presence would be very desirable at
the conference.
MR. W. V. SEDDALL :—I would suggest
the words '' with such amendments as may
be suggested " be inserted.
I entirely agree
with my friend Mr. Brady that, one of tht,
most essential steps the Council would have
to take before
they could approach the
Government would be to have a conference
with all the interested persons, so as to be
able to assure the Government that if they
take up the Bill it. will be unopposed. The
amendment as it stands in no way precludes
the conference suggested by Mr. Shannon
and others.
MR. O'SHEE, M.P., said :—May T
say
that I am entirely in favour of the original
motion, with the amendment suggested by
Mr. Delany. The appointment of a Royal
Commission would result in the question
being put off for another ten years, but if a
small Vice-Regal Commission were appointed
they could report in two or three months.
They could limit the number of witnesses,
and could decide when
they had heard
sufficient evidence from all interested. They
could decide to close the work of the Com
mission, and draw up the report. The only
difference between my position to-day and
Mr. Craig's and Mr. Brady's is that I am one
of the criminals, because I am one of the
members who blocked the Bill of the Incor
porated Law Society. The only reason I am
a criminal is that 1 want more reform than
either Mr. Brady or Mr. Craig.
I have been
told that in the County Dublin they have
been hungering for the last sixteen years for
County Court reform. Well, we have been
hungering longer than that, and I blocked
the Bill because I want, not alone reform in
County Court procedure, but to have added
to it reform in County Court jurisdiction,
and because I do not believe in piecemeal
legislation.
I believe we will want a very
effective Bill to bring about sufficient reform.
I blocked the Bill because I thought it was
only a stop-gap piece of legislation. It would
not end legislation as regards County Court
procedure and jurisdiction. There are many
items of procedure and jurisdiction not dealt
with under the Bill and which ought to be
dealt with.
I strongly support the original
motion with the amendment suggested.
MR. T. VV DELANY (Longford) :—I do
not anticipate any speedy legislation on this
subject, because according to the papers
there will be very little time for taking up
such an insignificant little Bill as this.
I
would put it to the proposer of the original
resolution
that he ought
to adopt
the
suggestion of Mr. O'Shee. We must have an
inquiry of some kind to remedy matters, and
what easier or better way could there be
than by the appointment of a Commission
by His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant ?
If you put it to the present holder of the
office that it would be in the interests of the
public, he would speedily come to our rescue.
We would have all the information for the
Commission, and then let the Council put
forward the Bill. They would have some
thing on which to invite the Government to
take this matter up next year in the interest
of the profession and the public. We are
unanimous after all that a remedy is neces
sary, and why should we
fall out over
trifles ?
Why should we accept this Bill as
the full measure of our requirements ?
If
we are going to have a Bill, let us have a
decent one.
MR. J. M. McDOWELL :—I beg to support
the motion of Mr. Craig. All the speakers are
agreed that reform is necessary.
Sir John
Lynch suggests
that the best means of
securing this amendment is by inducing the
Government to take up the Bill which has
already been introduced into the House of
Commons, and which has met its death.
Mr. Brady, M.P., warned this meeting that
if we content ourselves here to-day by passing
a resolution asking the Government to adopt
this Bill as a Government measure, there is
no guarantee that they will do so. As far as
I can learn from Mr. Brady's remarks it is
not at all a probable thing that the Govern
ment will adopt this Bill as a Government
measure. The resolution of Mr. Craig is, I
think, the best means of securing the end in
view, because if we succeed in getting the
Government to take this step of appointing
a Commission to inquire into the undoubted
grievances that exist, the Government would
be bound, not only in honour, but because it
is their duty to the community to adopt
whatever report the Commission would make
for
the
purpose
of
remedying
these
grievances. That, in my opinion, is the best
course for the meeting to adopt. There-