1876.] 45 [Strong. 



independence, and tended to drag it down into the mire 

 of party politics. He favored the consoHdation of the 

 City of Philadelphia, as tending, in his judgment, to 

 the promotion of good order, and to the general re- 

 form of subsisting abuses, and he lent his influence to 

 send to the Legislature the men of " experience in 

 civil affairs, of general knowledge, talents, integrity, 

 moral courage and conscientiousness " through whose 

 agency consolidation was effected. 



Immersed as he was all his life in a flood of occupa- 

 tions, and unwilling while he was engaged in the prac- 

 tice of the law, to be diverted from it by any hope of 

 gain to himself, he felt a deep interest in many institu- 

 tions cherished by the community, and in many of our 

 noblest charities. He was one of the originators of 

 the Academy of Fine Arts, and with forty other mem- 

 bers of the bar he signed the articles of association. 

 William Lewis and Judge Tilghman were also arnong 

 the signers. Mr. Binney was the youngest. He was 

 present at the first meeting in the Hall of Independ- . 

 ence, to choose officers, and to launch the constitution 

 of the society, and there he made an address. He 

 was early connected with the Horticultural Society, 

 and he was a member of the Franklin Institute and 

 of the American Philosophical Society. He presided 

 many years over the Apprentices' Library Company. 

 He was long a director of the Pennsylvania Institu- 

 tion for the deaf and dumb, and he was a contrib- 

 utor to the House of Refuse. He felt Sfreat interest 



