after aide to General Wooster, and was present when that general was slain at Danbury, in April, 1777. In 1778 he served as commissary and held a major's commission in the regiment; he studied law under Tapping Reeve, at Litchfield, Conn., came to Vermont and was admitted to the Bar, May 26, 1779, at Westminster, and was appointed clerk of the court. In June, 1780, he was State's attorney for Cumberland County; he was one of the agents that presented the cause of Vermont to Congress and attended that body in behalf of Vermont, and was active in its service. He represented Westminster in the General Assembly for many years; was clerk of the House, and its Speaker for ten years; was register of the Probate Court and judge of the county court. In 1788 he was elected judge of the Supreme Court and served one year; he was one of the commissioners who settled the controversy with New York, and a delegate in the Convention in 1791, which adopted the United States' Constitution. He was elected United States senator at the first election and drew the short term of four years, serving till 1795, when Elijah Paine succeeded him, but at the end of Mr. Paine's term, in 1801, Mr. Bradley was again elected and continued senator until 1 81 3. He was elected five time president pro tem, of the United States Senate. In January, 1808, he summoned the con vention of congressmen which met and nominated Mr. Madison for the Presidency; at that time, he was the leading Republican senator from New England, but was earn estly opposed to the war with Great Britain, and counselled Mr. Madison against it. It was his dissatisfaction with the national policy of the party that caused him, in March, 1813, at the close of his congressional labors, to withdraw from public life. He has been described by some as an erratic man, but by those who knew him best as " a lawyer of distinguished abilities, and a good orator." " Few men," says
Graham, in his sketch of Vermont, " have more companionable talents, a greater share of social cheerfulness, a more inexhaustible fund of wit, or a larger proportion of un affected urbanity." A writer of the day says, he was distinguished for political sa gacity, a large acquaintance with mankind, and an extensive range of historical infor mation. He was placed upon committees in the Senate to whom was referred the most important and delicate questions. He was the author of that part of the existing Con stitution which requires that the Vice-Presi dent, like the President, shall be chosen by a majority of the electoral votes. He was the tutor, in the law, of Jeremiah Mason, the greatest lawyer that ever lived in New England, who, after his studies with Mr. Bradley, was admitted to the Bar in Wind ham County in June, 1791, and remained with him for some months. After Mr. Bradley's retirement from politics, he resided in Westminster until 1818, when he re moved to the opposite side of the river, in Walpole, N. H. Mr. Goodrich, famous as " Peter Parley," was a son-in-law of Mr. Bradley. He was highly regarded by Mr. Jefferson and received many marks of personal esteem from that distinguished statesman. It was his desire to continue the Repub lican succession in the Presidency, which caused his activity in bringing about the nomination of Mr. Madison. The circular which he issued, calling the convention of the Republican members of Congress, was so mandatory in style that it was denounced as a usurpation of power, and was particu larly offensive to the New York members, only one of whom attended. There were ninety-four members present, and the result of the nomination of Mr. Madison clearly shows the political foresight and sagacity of Mr. Bradley. He served but one year as judge;- his colleagues were both laymen; no case before the court has been reported.
