1876.] *^1 [Strong. 



addition to the members of the Councils, a few invited 

 friends were present. Mr. Binney, then eighty years 

 of age, stood on the platform in the Common Council 

 chamber, and read the entire address, with a firm 

 voice, and with expressive emphasis. When he had 

 concluded, silence ensued in the chamber, the audience 

 evidently expecting some remarks from him. He was 

 much affected, and after pausing awhile, he said, " and 

 thus closes the noblest compendium of fatherly affec- 

 tion, patriotism and political wisdom the world has ever 

 seen. No words of mine are fit to stand beside it." 

 In the year 1852, at the one hundredth anni- 

 versary of The Philadelphia Contributionship for the 

 insurance of houses from losses by fire, he delivered 

 an address on the history of fire insurance, and upon 

 the principles adopted by that association. Like every- 

 thing which came from him, the address exhibited the 

 completest understanding of his subject, great felicity 

 in its mode of presentation, and a vigor and beauty of 

 expression unsurpassable. It is read with pleasure 

 and with profit even now. In the following year he 

 published a valuable and suggestive article on the 

 naturalization laws. In 1858 he gave to the public a 

 sketch of the life and character of Rushrod Washing- 

 ton, a Judge of the Sup,reme Court of the United 

 States, who for many years presided in this circuit with 

 great honor to himself, and usefulness to the country. In 

 his court, Mr. Binney had very constantly appeared, in 

 the conduct of most important causes, and there had 



