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that the Bill has now been drafted by the Parlia
mentary Draftsman preparatory to its submission
to the Government for introduction in Dail Eireann.
It was ordered that representations should be made
to the appropriate Departments asking that the Bill
should contain provision for the remission of the
annual licence duty similar
to
that already
in
force in England and Northern Ireland, and for the
appropriation of the stamp duties payable on
solicitors' apprentices' indentures and certificates of
admission for the purpose of legal education of
solicitors' apprentices.
New Stamp Duties
A deputation was appointed to seek an interview
with the Minister for Finance to urge that the rates
of stamp duties imposed on conveyances and trans
fers of sales by Section 13 of the Finance (No. 2)
Act, 1947, should be abolished and the rates there
tofore in force restored.
Legal Aid in Murder Cases
THE President reported that, accompanied by the
Vice-Presidents and the Secretary, he had attended
at Government Buildings and been received by the
Attorney General, and that representations had been
made as to the inadequacy of the present contri
bution of the State towards the costs of defence in
assignment cases, supported by instances which
had been brought to the attention of the Council.
He stated that the Attorney General had promised
to give the matter early consideration.
Professional Etiquette
A MEMBER wrote enquiring whether, in the opinion
of the Council, he would be acting properly in
attending on the executor and reading over the will
to him, in a case in which he had prepared a will for
the testator some years before his death, in which
the testator's son was appointed sole executor.
After the death of the testator he had received a
letter from another solicitor stating that the latter
had been instructed by the executor who was anxious
to obtain particulars of the testator's will. No
authority from the executor to hand over the will
was furnished.
It was ordered that the Secretary
should reply stating that the solicitor who drew up
the will would be entitled to write to the executor
informing him of the letter which he had received,
stating that no authority to hand over the will had
been enclosed, and asking for the executor's direc
tions in the matter, but that the solicitor should not
attend on the executor to read over the will unless
He instructed him to do so.
FEBRUARY 3RD. The President in the Chair. Also
present: Messrs. Joseph Tyrrell, V.P., Joseph
Barrett, V.P., J. R. Quirke, N. S. Gaffney, F. J.
Gearty, A. J. Malone, William J. Norman, Henry P.
Mayne, John Dundon, G. A. Overend, W. S. Hayes,
Daniel O'Connell, Derrick M. Martin, John J.
Bolger, L. E. O'Dea, William L. Duggan, Reginald
J. Nolan, Roger Greene, Peter Woods, Dermot P.
Shaw, A. Cox, Patrick F. O'Reilly, Thomas A.
O'Reilly, D. R. Counahan, John J. Dunne.
The following was among the business transacted:
Undertakings
THE Council considered a report from a committee
on the subject of undertakings between solicitors.
The report was adopted and a note on the matter
is printed at foot of col. 2 of this page
Court Stenographers' Charges
THE Council considered a report as to the charges
made by Court stenographers for attending on the
trial of actions in the High Court and furnishing a
transcript of the evidence. The matter was referred
to a committee for consideration.
Petrol for Solicitors
IT was ordered that representations should be made
to the Department of Industry and Commerce that
solicitors should be given the same supplementary
allowance of petrol as clergymen and medical
practitioners.
(See page 57 post)
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY
THE Council have made representations to the
appropriate authorities asking that on the consider
ation of the merits of applicants for positions in the
public service, for which solicitors are eligible,
additional marks should be awarded, as between the
solicitor candidates, for membership of the society.
UNDERTAKINGS BETWEEN
SOLICITORS
IN view of the frequency with which undertakings
are given and accepted on the completion of sales
and other professional
transactions
the Council
think it advisable to state their views on the obli
gations of solicitors who give them.
Such under
takings are often unavoidable in order to get business
completed, and unless reliance can be placed upon
them solicitors will decline to accept them, with
consequent delay and inconvenience to the public
and the profession. The following, in the. opinion
of the Council, are the general principles by which
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