The Gazette 1910-11

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland,

[DECEMBER, 1910

160

the occupier of the soil must be largely prejudiced, and it follows that those who have claims on the landowners, such as incumbrancers, annuitants, or creditors, in their turn are materially affected also ; so that the question is one which touches us all, and must be dealt with by us in a calm and dispassionate spirit, and it is from this point of view that I propose to approach the subject very briefly to-day. Most of us have had experience in carrying through land sales under the provisions of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1903, and we know that as long as there was an abundance of cash provided by the British Treasury the sales went through without any great difficulty and with obvious advantage to all parties concerned : in our own experience, as pro fessional men, the working of the Wyndham Act was most beneficial. When estates were sold agrarian agitation ceased, the new owners put energy and spirit into their labours in the land, co-operative societies for the purpose of securing better prices were started by the farmers, and the face of the country was rapidly changing for the better. Time went on, however, and the British Treasury found that they were unable to float loans of Irish Stock at terms which made it remunerative or, indeed, possible to raise cash except at a loss, and after introducing a Bill in the year 1908, which was read a second time in the House of Commons on the 8th December of that year, we find that in the year 1909 Mr. Birrell, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, carried through the Irish Land Act of 1909. Now whatever may have been the inten tions of the Government, the results of the working so far of the recent Act have not been satisfactory. We, as pro fessional men, know only too well that land purchase negotiations have practically terminated since the passing of the Act of 1909, and the alterations in, or abrogations of, certain of the Sections of the Act of 1903, which- had worked for years so successfully. The provisions of the Act of 1909 are familiar to you all, but, shortly stated, the effect of the law of the Act of 1909 was to raise the tenants' purchase annuity from 3J per cent.— the rate under the Wyndham Act—to 3J per cent. This at once affected possible tenant purchasers. Then, as regards the

believed will improve the efficiency of the County Courts of Ireland, may be accomplished (applause). MR. W. V. SEDDALL (Vice-President) said :—I have much pleasure in seconding the adoption of the Report. In doing so I do not intend to inflict a speech upon you. After your hearing the address of the President and after reading the Report, I think you will be satisfied that the members of the Society whom you have placed on the Council have at all events done their best during the year in the interests of the Profession (hear, hear). MR. FRY :—I want to say a few words on the Irish Land Acts. The Report which has been submitted contains no reference to the Irish Land Acts, because "during the past year there lias been no new legislation; but I think that at a gathering of Solicitors, such as we see here to-day, it is only fitting and right that we should express our views on the condition of affairs as we find them in this country. Now it is quite possible for members of the. Incorporated Law Society to discuss burning questions from a purely professional point of view, and, representing as we do every shade of political opinions, every class of the community, whether land lords, tenants, incumbrancers, commercial men, and ourselves, we are surely entitled to express our opinions as to whether measures affecting land in Ireland are working for good or for ill; and I go further and say that I claim that it is not alone our privilege, but it is our duty to give expression to our views if we think we can thereby assist the general public in consideration of the matter. It is impossible to avoid coming to the conclusion that the Land Question is at the root of every trouble in Ireland. Talk as we may, we cannot get away from the land, for every citizen—aye, every inhabitant of this island—is more or less directly or indirectly dependent on the products of land. It is manifest that if the dwellers on the land are in a state of turmoil and trouble and in a condition of unrest and unsettlement, agri culture is neglected, and the land does not give forth at its best that which Nature intended. The result is that those who are dependent on rents to be produced or paid by