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a witness ;
(<r) a State solicitor or his partner, or a
qualified solicitor in his office should not act for
applicants for transfers of publicans' licenses or
applicants for dance hall licenses if the applications
are opposed by the Gardai.
ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
A general meeting of the Society was held in the
library Solicitors' Buildings, Four Courts, Dublin
on Thursday, 26th May, 1960. The President, Mr.
John J. Nash, took the chair. The notice convening
the meeting was by permission of the meeting taken
as read.
The minutes of the Ordinary General Meeting
held on 26th November, 1959 were read, confirmed
and signed by the chairman.
The chairman announced that he nominated the
following members of the Society to act as scrutineers
of the ballot for election of the Council to be held on
iyth November, 1960, John R. McC. Blakeney,
Thomas Jackson, Brendan P. McCormack, Alex
ander J. McDonald, Roderick J. Tierney.
The President addressing the meeting said :
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before I deal with the business of your Society
may I regretfully and sorrowfully ask you to dwell
for a moment upon the remembrance ot those of
our colleagues who have died since our last General
Meeting. They are : Bertram Barton ; Patrick R.
Boyd ; James Burns ; Christopher E. Callan ; Mrs.
Margaret Daly; Cecil H. Exham ;
Martin Fitz
gerald ; Matthew G. R. Lardner ; Gerald Maguire ;
Harold H. Maxwell; Valentine W. Miley ; Felix E.
Murphy ; Thomas O'Neill; John J. Power ; John
D. T. Rooney ;
James J. Tuohy; and Peter P.
Wilkinson. Of these Mr. Lardner was a member of
the Council before my association with it, and was
Vice-President for the year 1945-46. Mr. Christopher
E. Callan and Mr. Patrick R. Boyd had been our
colleagues on the Council until very recently. For
a considerable time after the sun has sunk below the
horizon it continues to light the earth. So too the
beneficial influence which by advice and example the
late Mr. Lardner, Mr. Callan and Mr. Boyd had on
the governing body of our profession continues after
their deaths. Mr. Callan, a kindly, genial colleague,
was a provincial delegate on the Council for almost
thirty years. He devoted himself unselfishly to the
interests of his chosen profession. Mr. Boyd was a
member of the Council for quarter of a century and
one of our most illustrious past Presidents.
" His
life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him
that nature might stand up and say to all the world
' This was a man'." So can we think and say of
our Past President, the late Mr. Patrick Boyd.
In
every sense of the word he was a man—a gentle,
kindly, brilliant man, whom, we shall miss in fellow
ship and in friendship. May all these, our former
colleagues, rest in peace. To their relatives I extend
the sympathy of myself and of our Council.
I sometimes marvel at the vast amount of work
which has constantly to be done by your Council.
The volume never seems to be reduced no matter
how assiduously we apply ourselves.
The ever-
changing pattern of business life and of legal and
social relations is constantly giving rise to new
problems vitally affecting our Profession.
In the
past six months we have had six Council Meetings
and somewhat over fifty Committee Meetings.
Despite that, most of our work during this period is
still only in the formative stage. A great portion of
it concerns principles which have yet to be considered
and decided upon by the Government and the
Judiciary.
Until they have come to a decision,
courtesy forbids me to refer in public to these matters.
During the past decade or so the pattern of life in
Ireland has undergone a fundamental change among
the farmers, the wage-earners and the business
community. What is known as " out-put " in the
business world has become a matter of primary
importance with all sections of the Community.
Even our rural community who are so conservative
feel that one can no longer kill time without in
juring Eternity.
Efficiency — whether
real or
simulated — has become so common-place that even
the man who does nothing in particular does it very
well.
Life has become more complex and the
outlook of Society has substantially changed. Our
profession comes into close contact with all sections
of the community. We must serve the public as
they want to be served. With the changing outlook
of the community we have had to change our out
look also. No profession which does not continually
test its ideals, techniques and measure of accomplish
ment can claim real vitality. Ours has always been
virile and vital. It is the ambition of your Council to
keep it so. To serve the public adequately today a
solicitor must know his law thoroughly and be able
to apply it without hesitation.
Your Council are charged with the education and
training of our students. They have the responsi
bility of ensuring that these students of today will
be a credit to their chosen profession tomorrow.
They will have to cope with the changed and more
complex atmosphere in social and business relations
and in the laws applying thereto.
To meet this
situation your Council have drastically overhauled
the entire system of lectures, education and examina
tion for our students. The course of studies is more
advanced and more detailed. The examinations are
much more searching.