The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-31
The Vermont Bar Association.

The annual meeting of the Vermont Bar AS
socation was held at the court house on the
evening of October %. with Hon. George w.
Harman Of Bennington presiding. The presi-
dent, Judge Barrett of Rutland, was unable to
be present. owing to the serious illness of his
sister, and his address, as president of the as
sociation which is considered an important
part Of the exercises, was necessarily omitted
Mr. Harman saved the day, however, by pro-
curing several interesting papers to be read
Hiram A. Huse, in the absence of G. IL Pitkin,
the secretary, read the records OF the last meet
ing p. Redfield Kendall, Esq, of Rutland
read paper upon the subject of !" unreported
cases growing out of the war of the rebellion"
quoting the prophecy OF Humboldt, that a
thorough acquaintance with the growth OF the
country and public men from Washington to
that time, indicated that war was soon to fol-
low. Mr.. Kendall discussed some of the many
cases growing out of the bounty law, substi-
tuting for drafted men, ETC., urged the mem
beas of the profession to preserve and perpet-
nate the history of important unreported cases.
Hon. Warren G. French of Woodstock read a
biography of Andrew Tracy. whose ancestors
were among the early colonists, born in 1797
when the legal jurisprudence of Vermont WAS
in its infancy, and with limited opportuni-
ties for obtaining an education, he encountered
the difficulties and privations common to the
early settlers, but his indomitable will and
perseverance surmounted every hindrance. He
WAS admitted to the bar at the December term
of Windsor county court In 1896 and steadily
rose in his profession until he was recognized
as one of the ablest lawyers in the country, be-
ing at one time associated with Rufus Choate
and Asahel Peck and by them held to be a
man OF great perception and superior intellect.
He was firm believer in trials by jury in
which branch Of the practice he excelled and
| his services were much sought after in the
more difficult and important cases. He repre-
| sented the towns of Hartford and Woodstock
| in the general assembly, and at one time WAS
speaker of the house. In 1852 he was elected
| to congress where he served one term. He
died 10 1868, unmarried and his remains lie in
| the cemetery at Woodstock. Hon. Hoyt III,
| Wheeler, judge OF the United States court,
read an interesting sketch upon the subject OF
| William q. Bradley OF Westminster, whom he
| portrayed as a man OF extraordinary ability
and attainments. He was in full practice for
| fifty-fiye years and died March 4, 1867, at the
age of eighty-fve.
After the reading of the papers the meeting
| adjourned until ten o'clock the next morning,
when the regular business meeting OF the as
sociation was held, with Hon. George w. Har-
man In the chair, The chair appointed COM
mittee to prepare and report n list of officers
| for the ensuing year; the report Of the treas
urer was received and acted upon, showing the
association TO be in a sound condition hnan-
cially, there being between S40O and 5000 de-
posted to the credit of the treasurer in the
savings bank. recess was taken unit
| Thursday morning when the committee re-
ported the names of the following gentlemen
as officers for the year ensuing and they were
unanimously elected; President, Hon. B. Y,
Fifeld OF Montpelier; first vice president, Hon
George W. Harman, of Bennington second
vice-president, Colonel Aldace Il. Walker o.