Horace Binney (January 4, 1780 – August 12, 1875) was an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

, author, and public speaker who served as an Anti-Jacksonian in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

Early life

Binney was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, the son of Dr. Barnabas Binney (1751–1787), a prominent Philadelphia physician who cared for Deborah Sampson. He graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1797, where he founded the Hasty Pudding Club in 1795. Through his sister Susan Binney Wallace, he was the uncle of Horace Binney Wallace (1817–1852), a legal critic and through his sister, Mary Sarah Binney Sargent (d. 1824), wife of Lucius Manlius Sargent (1786–1867), an author and temperance advocate, he was the uncle of well-known author and Horace Binney Sargent (1821–1908), a Civil war veteran.

Career

He then studied law in the office of Jared Ingersoll (1749–1822), who had been a member of the Constitutional convention of 1787, and who, from 1791 to 1800 and again from 1811 to 1816, was the attorney-general of Pennsylvania. In 1800, Binney was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia and practiced there with great success for half a century, and was recognized as one of the leaders of the bar in Pennsylvania and the United States. Between 1806 and 1807, he served in the Pennsylvania legislature. From 1833 until 1835, he served as a Whig member of the

. While in the House of Representatives, he defended the United States Bank and opposed the policies of President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

. In 1808, Binney was elected a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

. After leaving office, he returned to the practice of law. Binney's most famous cases were ''Lyle v. Richards'' (1823), and ''Vidal et al v. Philadelphia et al'' (1844). In the latter case, which involved the disposition of the fortune of

Stephen Girard Stephen Girard (born Étienne Girard; May 20, 1750 – December 26, 1831) was a French-born American banker and philanthropist. Born in Bordeaux, Girard subsequently immigrated to the Thirteen Colonies where he established himself in the Banking ...

, he was unsuccessfully opposed by

Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the 14th and 19th United States Secretary of State, U.S. secretary o ...

. Binney's argument in this case greatly influenced the interpretation of the law of charities.

Public addresses and writings

Binney made many public addresses, the most noteworthy of which, entitled Life and ''Character of Chief Justice Marshall'', was published in 1835. He also published ''Leaders of the Old Bar of Philadelphia'', in 1858, and an ''Inquiry into the Formation of Washingtons Farewell Address'', in 1859. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

he issued three pamphlets (1861, 1862 and 1865), discussing the right of ''habeas corpus'' under the American Constitution, and justifying President Lincoln in his suspension of the writ. He was elected an Associate Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

in 1867.

Personal life

Binney was married to Elizabeth Cox (1783–1865), one of six daughters of John Cox, Esq. of Bloomsbury, New Jersey, and descendants of the Langeveldts who originally settled

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Her sister, Mary Cox, was married to the inventor John Stevens III (1749–1838). Together, Horace and Elizabeth were the parents of: * Mary (1805-1831), first wife of Judge/Congressman John Cadwalader * Horace Binney Jr. (1809–1870), a member of the

. married Eliza Frances Johnson * Esther Coxe Binney (1817–1902), who married John Innes Clark Hare (1816–1905), also an attorney. * Elizabeth Binney (1820–1910), who married Richard Roger Montgomery (1818–1888), the son of William M. Montgomery and Marie d'Elincourt, on April 30, 1844. Elizabeth and Richard Montgomery were the grandparents of Helen Hope Montgomery Scott. * Susan Binney (1822–1887) * William Binney (1825–1909), a prominent banker in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

who married Charlotte Hope Goddard, the sister of

Robert Hale Ives Goddard Robert Hale Ives Goddard (September 21, 1837 – April 22, 1916) was a prominent banker, industrialist, U.S. Army officer, state senator and philanthropist. Early life He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on September 21, 1837. He was a so ...

, in 1848. Binney died on August 12, 1875, at the age of 95 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city of his birth. He was buried in the churchyard of Church of St. James the Less in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Binney, Horace 1780 births 1875 deaths 19th-century American lawyers Burials at the Church of St. James the Less Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Harvard College alumni National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century Pennsylvania politicians Pennsylvania lawyers Politicians from Philadelphia 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Members of the American Philosophical Society