Richard H. Bayard: Encyclopedia II - Richard H. Bayard - Political career

Richard H. Bayard - Political career

Bayard graduated from Princeton College in 1814, studied law and was admitted to the Bar in 1818. His practice was in Wilmington, where he became the first mayor of the newly incorpated city in 1832.

In 1836, Bayard was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian or Whig, to the United States Senate, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Arnold Naudain. He served from June 17, 1836, to September 19, 1839, when he resigned to become Chief Justice of Delaware. He served in that capacity for two years, from 1839 to 1841, when he resigned being once again elected to the United States Senate, to fill the vacancy which had existed since his own resignation in 1839. This time he served from January 12, 1841 until March 3, 1845. While in the United States Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims in the Twenty-seventh Congress, a member of the Committee on District of Columbia in the Twenty-seventh Congress, and a member of the Committee on Naval Affairs in the Twenty-seventh Congress and Twenty-eighth Congress. He did not seek reelection in 1844, and later concluded his public career as chargé d'affaires to Belgium from 1850 to 1853.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Political career", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki