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the costs due under the undertaking to the plaintiff's
solicitors. The Council on a report from a Com
mittee stated that the defendant's solicitors give an
undertaking to pay the plaintiff's costs of the pro
ceedings and were not entitled to set off half the
arbitrator's fee.
Solicitor's notepaper
On a report from a Committee the Council stated
that the words " successors to CD " on the note-
paper of a solicitor who purchased the practice of
CD (a public official) should not be printed on the
new solicitor's professional notepaper but they gave
permission to exhaust existing stocks.
Press notice
On a report from a Committee the Council stated
that
they would disapprove of a Press notice
by a solicitor stating that he carried on all types
of insurance business for the principal companies
and inviting enquiries at his private house.
Vacancies on Committees
Messrs. Dinnen B. Gilmore and James R. Green
were appointed as additional members of the
Finance, Library and Publications Committee, the
Privileges Committee, and the Court Offices and
Costs Committee.
DUBLIN SOLICITORS'
BAR
ASSOCIATION
A MEETING of the Council was held on Wednesday,
ist March, 1959.
The Administration of Estates record is now
available at 6d. per copy in parcels of one dozen,
from Messrs. A. & S. Donaldson, Limited, of
Celbridge.
Practitioners will find this form very
useful when
taking instruction for Probate or
Administration even in relatively small Estates.
The main uses envisaged for the Administration
of Estates record are :—
1. It should prove a useful guide and reminder
to the less experienced practitioner.
2. A Principal should see at a glance the position
in a case being mainly dealt with by an Assist
ant or Clerk.
3. For Principal or Assistant it will be a rapid
reference and assist in answering questions as
to the position especially over the telephone.
4. A reasonably experienced Costs Drawer should
be able to draft most of a Bill of Costs by
reference to the form while the solicitor retains
his files and papers while winding up the
administration.
5. It will be a useful record of an administration
should questions arise after a lapse of time
following completion.
The Council supports the observations recently
made in the Bankruptcy Court by Mr. Desmond
Collins, Solicitor for the preservation of the right of
audience in that Court of Dublin Solicitors.
A deputation was appointed to wait upon the
County Registrar and to discuss with him the urgent
necessity of improving the performance of their
services by District Court Civil Bill Officers in
Dublin.
The next meeting was fixed for Wednesday, 6th
May, 1959.
SOLICITORS' APPRENTICES' DEBATING
SOCIETY
Benchers' Trophy
THE Society were this year's hosts for the Annual
inter-Debate for the Benchers' Trophy, and the
debate was held in the Library on the evening of
Wednesday, i8th February, under the chairmanship
of the President, Mr. John R. Halpin. The motion
was a quotation from Alexander Pope :
" For forms of government let fools contest,
Whate'er is best administered, is best."
This was the third of the new series of the debates.
The attendance of about a hundred saw the Solicitors'
Apprentices carry off the trophy for the second
time, defeating the Bar Students (last year's winners),
and the representatives of the Law Societies of
U.C.D. and Dublin University.
The Society was represented by Mr. John Temple
Lang and the Auditor, Mr. R. M. Neville.
The
assessors were Mr. George Overend, solicitor,
District Justice Farrell, Mr. William Finlay, S.C.,
and Professor Exshaw.
Seventy-fifth Anniversary Meeting
A Special Meeting was held in the Library on
Thursday, 5th March, to commemorate the found
ation of the Society in 1884. Mr. John R. Halpin,
the President, was again in the chair, and the attend
ance included Mrs. Halpin, Mr. Nash, Vice-President,
and Mrs. Nash, members of the Council of the Law
Society, of the Benchers of Kings Inns, and of the
Diplomatic Corps, and several past auditors of the
Society.
A paper entitled " The Solicitors' Profession in
Ireland" was read by Mr. John Temple Lang,
solicitor, wherein he critically surveyed
recent
developments
in
the profession,
including
the
stultifying of the powers of the disciplinary com
mittee, and the rejection of the Solicitors' Costs
Order by the Seanad. In his appraisal of the future
the lecturer ranged from legal education to the
condition of solicitors' offices, and stressed the need
to guard against the filching of legal work by the
accountants' profession.
105