Originally interred 10/23/1880 at the First Presbyterian Churchyard, Newark, Essex, NJ and re-interred 4/23/1959 at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark, Essex, NJ.
He was born at Speedwell [a section of Morristown], Morris Co., N.J., September 4, 1799, his ancestors being among the earlier settlers of the State. His father was a son of Sir Thomas Kinney, an English baronet, who was knighted on account of his scientific attainments, especially in mineralogy, and who visited America before the Revolution for the purpose of examining the mineral resources of New Jersey. Finding in Morris County, which then included Sussex, a wide field for operations, he made it his home, and was subsequently appointed by the crown, high sheriff; an office which he held till the Revolution severed the relations between the colonies and the mother country, when he renounced his allegiance to the crown. Mr. Kinney's mother was Hannah Burnet, a daughter of Dr. William Burnet, who descended from Bishop Burnet, an eminent divine, and author of "History of the Reformation," "History of his own Times," "Life of Sir Matthew Hale," and other works. The father of Dr. Burnet was William Burnet, the second colonial Governor and chancellor of New Jersey, as well as of New York, and subsequently of Massachusetts, and the doctor himself; after whom Mr. Kinney was named, was not only a distinguished physician of Newark, but a prominent man in the history of New Jersey, as may be seen by referring to a notice of him elsewhere given in this volume. Mr. Kinney's ancestors on both sides were, then, patriots of the Revolution, and his father, Abraham Kinney, was an officer in the war of 1812. He had but one brother, Thomas T. Kinney, Sr., a lawyer and legislator of 1817, elsewhere mentioned in this work. Young William B., while yet a boy, had done some service as a bearer of dispatches during the war of 1812, and being destined by his father for the army, was admitted as a cadet at West Point. But his father soon after died, and his mother, a woman of unusual force of character, believing that the talents which he possessed as an orator and a writer would be more advantageous to him in some other career, withdrew him from West Point, and placed him under the care of Mr. Whelply, author of "The Triangle," and father of the late Chief Justice Whelply. Subsequently he became a pupil of Rev. John Ford, D.D., an eminent classical teacher and the founder of the old Bloomfield Academy, a collegiate institute. Among his school-fellows in this institution were the late Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Cox and the late Rev. Dr. Philip C. Hay. He afterwards entered upon the study of law in his brother's office, and continued his studies with Mr. Hornblower (his cousin by marriage), who was afterwards chief justice of the State. Mr. Kinney's tastes were, however, more in the direction of literature and metaphysics, and as a writer, and speaker he showed more than ordinary powers. It thus happened that in the latter part of 1820 he became editor of the New Jersey Eagle, & weekly paper in Newark, N.J., a position which he held until 1825, when he went to New York in order to pursue his favorite studies. Here he took an active part in the establishment of the Mercantile Library, of which he acted as librarian, and became the friend and adviser of the Harper Brothers, who had recently begun the publishing business in that city, and who relied very much upon his taste and judgment in the selection of books for publication. At this time, also, he became deeply interested in the theological discussions of the day, and applied himself, in fact, so closely to study that his health became greatly impaired. Desirous of a change of atmosphere, and inclined, perhaps, to resume his old employment as an editor, he returned to Newark, and in 1833 was induced to take the management of the Daily Advertiser of that city, then the only daily paper in the State, which he united with the Sentinel of Freedom, a long-established weekly paper. To this journal Mr. Kinney gave a literary tone so high that it was said of him that his criticisms had more influence on the opinions of literary men than those of any other journalist of the time. In 1836 the honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, and in 1840 he was elected a trustee of that institution. During the same year he was elected a Presidential delegate to the convention which nominated General Harrison, but he declined to attend. In 1844 he was again chosen a delegate at-large, with the late Chancellor Green, to the Baltimore Whig Convention, and here the earnestness of his persuasive eloquence was largely instrumental in securing the nomination of his friend, the late Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, as a candidate for Vice-President with Mr. Clay. In 1848 he was nominated for Congress by the Whig Convention of the Fifth District of New Jersey. It was done very much against his wish, but he was finally persuaded to accept it as a political duty. The Democrats coalesced with the Independents, selecting the late Hon. William Wright as their candidate, and after a very bitter contest the latter was elected. In 1851, Mr. Kinney was appointed as United States minister to Sardinia, and on the eve of his departure was complimented by a farewell banquet in which leading men of all political parties joined. Chief Justice Hornblower presided, and among the speakers were Rev. Dr. S.I. Prime, of New York, and many others distinguished in church and State. The next day he was escorted to the steamship by a large concourse of friends from Newark, and the final parting was full of manifestations of affection and regret on both sides. His reception at Turin, the capital of Sardinia, was warm, and he soon became a favorite in the court circle which was just then engaged in settling the details of a constitutional government. Count Cavour and other master-minds of that kingdom, were, in constant consultation with Mr. Kinney with reference to the practical working of our republican system, and his influence was strongly apparent in the establishment of the liberal institutions of Italy. He also rendered signal services to the government of Great Britain in consultation with their ambassador, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and for some important diplomatic business entrusted to him received a handsome official acknowledgment in a special dispatch from Lord Palmerston. Through Mr. Kinney's instrumentality while in Turin, the Waldenses received great encouragement and sustaining aid. The most important, perhaps, of Mr. Kinney's services to his country was in connection with Kossuth, the Hungarian exile then at Constantinople. The government of the United States had offered to transport him to America in a national ship, detached from the Mediterranean squadron at Spezzia, which was in the Sardinian dominions and subject to Mr. Kinney's supervision. He was thus enabled to give prompt instructions to the commander and information to his own government of the objects of the distinguished fugitive. Mr. Webster, at that time Secretary of State, being forewarned by Mr. Kinney's correspondence, thwarted Zossuth's philanthropic, but impracticable, efforts to enlist the United States in a foreign complication. Upon the expiration of his term of office, the Sardinian ministry offered to unite in a request to the united States government to allow him to remain in Turin, but he preferred to remove to Florence, where he could join the society of the Brownings, the Trollopes, Hiram Powers, and other American artists, who were his warm personal friends. During his residence in the latter city he became interested in the romantic history of the Medici family, and the mew information concerning them which his position enabled him to acquire induced him to begin a historical work on the subject which promised to be of great importance, but which he never completed. Mr. Kinney, with his family, returned to his home near the close of the late Rebellion, and thereafter led a retired life, the latter part of which was a protracted season of suffering. He died October 21, 1880, professing a sincere trust in the Christian faith and surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was twice married. His first wife was Mary Chandler, of Elizabeth, N.J., who died in 1841, and to whose only son, Thomas T. Kinney, the proprietorship of the Daily Advertiser was transferred some years before his death. He left a widow, who was the only surviving sister of the Hon. William E. Dodge, of New York, and two daughters, both of whom are married, one to Mr. William I. Kip, son of Bishop Kip, of California, and the other to Mr. Nelson S. Easton, of New York.∼see William Augustus Burnet Kinney for biographical
He was born at Speedwell [a section of Morristown], Morris Co., N.J., September 4, 1799, his ancestors being among the earlier settlers of the State. His father was a son of Sir Thomas Kinney, an English baronet, who was knighted on account of his scientific attainments, especially in mineralogy, and who visited America before the Revolution for the purpose of examining the mineral resources of New Jersey. Finding in Morris County, which then included Sussex, a wide field for operations, he made it his home, and was subsequently appointed by the crown, high sheriff; an office which he held till the Revolution severed the relations between the colonies and the mother country, when he renounced his allegiance to the crown. Mr. Kinney's mother was Hannah Burnet, a daughter of Dr. William Burnet, who descended from Bishop Burnet, an eminent divine, and author of "History of the Reformation," "History of his own Times," "Life of Sir Matthew Hale," and other works. The father of Dr. Burnet was William Burnet, the second colonial Governor and chancellor of New Jersey, as well as of New York, and subsequently of Massachusetts, and the doctor himself; after whom Mr. Kinney was named, was not only a distinguished physician of Newark, but a prominent man in the history of New Jersey, as may be seen by referring to a notice of him elsewhere given in this volume. Mr. Kinney's ancestors on both sides were, then, patriots of the Revolution, and his father, Abraham Kinney, was an officer in the war of 1812. He had but one brother, Thomas T. Kinney, Sr., a lawyer and legislator of 1817, elsewhere mentioned in this work. Young William B., while yet a boy, had done some service as a bearer of dispatches during the war of 1812, and being destined by his father for the army, was admitted as a cadet at West Point. But his father soon after died, and his mother, a woman of unusual force of character, believing that the talents which he possessed as an orator and a writer would be more advantageous to him in some other career, withdrew him from West Point, and placed him under the care of Mr. Whelply, author of "The Triangle," and father of the late Chief Justice Whelply. Subsequently he became a pupil of Rev. John Ford, D.D., an eminent classical teacher and the founder of the old Bloomfield Academy, a collegiate institute. Among his school-fellows in this institution were the late Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Cox and the late Rev. Dr. Philip C. Hay. He afterwards entered upon the study of law in his brother's office, and continued his studies with Mr. Hornblower (his cousin by marriage), who was afterwards chief justice of the State. Mr. Kinney's tastes were, however, more in the direction of literature and metaphysics, and as a writer, and speaker he showed more than ordinary powers. It thus happened that in the latter part of 1820 he became editor of the New Jersey Eagle, & weekly paper in Newark, N.J., a position which he held until 1825, when he went to New York in order to pursue his favorite studies. Here he took an active part in the establishment of the Mercantile Library, of which he acted as librarian, and became the friend and adviser of the Harper Brothers, who had recently begun the publishing business in that city, and who relied very much upon his taste and judgment in the selection of books for publication. At this time, also, he became deeply interested in the theological discussions of the day, and applied himself, in fact, so closely to study that his health became greatly impaired. Desirous of a change of atmosphere, and inclined, perhaps, to resume his old employment as an editor, he returned to Newark, and in 1833 was induced to take the management of the Daily Advertiser of that city, then the only daily paper in the State, which he united with the Sentinel of Freedom, a long-established weekly paper. To this journal Mr. Kinney gave a literary tone so high that it was said of him that his criticisms had more influence on the opinions of literary men than those of any other journalist of the time. In 1836 the honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, and in 1840 he was elected a trustee of that institution. During the same year he was elected a Presidential delegate to the convention which nominated General Harrison, but he declined to attend. In 1844 he was again chosen a delegate at-large, with the late Chancellor Green, to the Baltimore Whig Convention, and here the earnestness of his persuasive eloquence was largely instrumental in securing the nomination of his friend, the late Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, as a candidate for Vice-President with Mr. Clay. In 1848 he was nominated for Congress by the Whig Convention of the Fifth District of New Jersey. It was done very much against his wish, but he was finally persuaded to accept it as a political duty. The Democrats coalesced with the Independents, selecting the late Hon. William Wright as their candidate, and after a very bitter contest the latter was elected. In 1851, Mr. Kinney was appointed as United States minister to Sardinia, and on the eve of his departure was complimented by a farewell banquet in which leading men of all political parties joined. Chief Justice Hornblower presided, and among the speakers were Rev. Dr. S.I. Prime, of New York, and many others distinguished in church and State. The next day he was escorted to the steamship by a large concourse of friends from Newark, and the final parting was full of manifestations of affection and regret on both sides. His reception at Turin, the capital of Sardinia, was warm, and he soon became a favorite in the court circle which was just then engaged in settling the details of a constitutional government. Count Cavour and other master-minds of that kingdom, were, in constant consultation with Mr. Kinney with reference to the practical working of our republican system, and his influence was strongly apparent in the establishment of the liberal institutions of Italy. He also rendered signal services to the government of Great Britain in consultation with their ambassador, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and for some important diplomatic business entrusted to him received a handsome official acknowledgment in a special dispatch from Lord Palmerston. Through Mr. Kinney's instrumentality while in Turin, the Waldenses received great encouragement and sustaining aid. The most important, perhaps, of Mr. Kinney's services to his country was in connection with Kossuth, the Hungarian exile then at Constantinople. The government of the United States had offered to transport him to America in a national ship, detached from the Mediterranean squadron at Spezzia, which was in the Sardinian dominions and subject to Mr. Kinney's supervision. He was thus enabled to give prompt instructions to the commander and information to his own government of the objects of the distinguished fugitive. Mr. Webster, at that time Secretary of State, being forewarned by Mr. Kinney's correspondence, thwarted Zossuth's philanthropic, but impracticable, efforts to enlist the United States in a foreign complication. Upon the expiration of his term of office, the Sardinian ministry offered to unite in a request to the united States government to allow him to remain in Turin, but he preferred to remove to Florence, where he could join the society of the Brownings, the Trollopes, Hiram Powers, and other American artists, who were his warm personal friends. During his residence in the latter city he became interested in the romantic history of the Medici family, and the mew information concerning them which his position enabled him to acquire induced him to begin a historical work on the subject which promised to be of great importance, but which he never completed. Mr. Kinney, with his family, returned to his home near the close of the late Rebellion, and thereafter led a retired life, the latter part of which was a protracted season of suffering. He died October 21, 1880, professing a sincere trust in the Christian faith and surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was twice married. His first wife was Mary Chandler, of Elizabeth, N.J., who died in 1841, and to whose only son, Thomas T. Kinney, the proprietorship of the Daily Advertiser was transferred some years before his death. He left a widow, who was the only surviving sister of the Hon. William E. Dodge, of New York, and two daughters, both of whom are married, one to Mr. William I. Kip, son of Bishop Kip, of California, and the other to Mr. Nelson S. Easton, of New York.∼see William Augustus Burnet Kinney for biographical
Originally interred 10/23/1880 at the First Presbyterian Churchyard, Newark, Essex, NJ and re-interred 4/23/1959 at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark, Essex, NJ.
He was born at Speedwell [a section of Morristown], Morris Co., N.J., September 4, 1799, his ancestors being among the earlier settlers of the State. His father was a son of Sir Thomas Kinney, an English baronet, who was knighted on account of his scientific attainments, especially in mineralogy, and who visited America before the Revolution for the purpose of examining the mineral resources of New Jersey. Finding in Morris County, which then included Sussex, a wide field for operations, he made it his home, and was subsequently appointed by the crown, high sheriff; an office which he held till the Revolution severed the relations between the colonies and the mother country, when he renounced his allegiance to the crown. Mr. Kinney's mother was Hannah Burnet, a daughter of Dr. William Burnet, who descended from Bishop Burnet, an eminent divine, and author of "History of the Reformation," "History of his own Times," "Life of Sir Matthew Hale," and other works. The father of Dr. Burnet was William Burnet, the second colonial Governor and chancellor of New Jersey, as well as of New York, and subsequently of Massachusetts, and the doctor himself; after whom Mr. Kinney was named, was not only a distinguished physician of Newark, but a prominent man in the history of New Jersey, as may be seen by referring to a notice of him elsewhere given in this volume. Mr. Kinney's ancestors on both sides were, then, patriots of the Revolution, and his father, Abraham Kinney, was an officer in the war of 1812. He had but one brother, Thomas T. Kinney, Sr., a lawyer and legislator of 1817, elsewhere mentioned in this work. Young William B., while yet a boy, had done some service as a bearer of dispatches during the war of 1812, and being destined by his father for the army, was admitted as a cadet at West Point. But his father soon after died, and his mother, a woman of unusual force of character, believing that the talents which he possessed as an orator and a writer would be more advantageous to him in some other career, withdrew him from West Point, and placed him under the care of Mr. Whelply, author of "The Triangle," and father of the late Chief Justice Whelply. Subsequently he became a pupil of Rev. John Ford, D.D., an eminent classical teacher and the founder of the old Bloomfield Academy, a collegiate institute. Among his school-fellows in this institution were the late Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Cox and the late Rev. Dr. Philip C. Hay. He afterwards entered upon the study of law in his brother's office, and continued his studies with Mr. Hornblower (his cousin by marriage), who was afterwards chief justice of the State. Mr. Kinney's tastes were, however, more in the direction of literature and metaphysics, and as a writer, and speaker he showed more than ordinary powers. It thus happened that in the latter part of 1820 he became editor of the New Jersey Eagle, & weekly paper in Newark, N.J., a position which he held until 1825, when he went to New York in order to pursue his favorite studies. Here he took an active part in the establishment of the Mercantile Library, of which he acted as librarian, and became the friend and adviser of the Harper Brothers, who had recently begun the publishing business in that city, and who relied very much upon his taste and judgment in the selection of books for publication. At this time, also, he became deeply interested in the theological discussions of the day, and applied himself, in fact, so closely to study that his health became greatly impaired. Desirous of a change of atmosphere, and inclined, perhaps, to resume his old employment as an editor, he returned to Newark, and in 1833 was induced to take the management of the Daily Advertiser of that city, then the only daily paper in the State, which he united with the Sentinel of Freedom, a long-established weekly paper. To this journal Mr. Kinney gave a literary tone so high that it was said of him that his criticisms had more influence on the opinions of literary men than those of any other journalist of the time. In 1836 the honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, and in 1840 he was elected a trustee of that institution. During the same year he was elected a Presidential delegate to the convention which nominated General Harrison, but he declined to attend. In 1844 he was again chosen a delegate at-large, with the late Chancellor Green, to the Baltimore Whig Convention, and here the earnestness of his persuasive eloquence was largely instrumental in securing the nomination of his friend, the late Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, as a candidate for Vice-President with Mr. Clay. In 1848 he was nominated for Congress by the Whig Convention of the Fifth District of New Jersey. It was done very much against his wish, but he was finally persuaded to accept it as a political duty. The Democrats coalesced with the Independents, selecting the late Hon. William Wright as their candidate, and after a very bitter contest the latter was elected. In 1851, Mr. Kinney was appointed as United States minister to Sardinia, and on the eve of his departure was complimented by a farewell banquet in which leading men of all political parties joined. Chief Justice Hornblower presided, and among the speakers were Rev. Dr. S.I. Prime, of New York, and many others distinguished in church and State. The next day he was escorted to the steamship by a large concourse of friends from Newark, and the final parting was full of manifestations of affection and regret on both sides. His reception at Turin, the capital of Sardinia, was warm, and he soon became a favorite in the court circle which was just then engaged in settling the details of a constitutional government. Count Cavour and other master-minds of that kingdom, were, in constant consultation with Mr. Kinney with reference to the practical working of our republican system, and his influence was strongly apparent in the establishment of the liberal institutions of Italy. He also rendered signal services to the government of Great Britain in consultation with their ambassador, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and for some important diplomatic business entrusted to him received a handsome official acknowledgment in a special dispatch from Lord Palmerston. Through Mr. Kinney's instrumentality while in Turin, the Waldenses received great encouragement and sustaining aid. The most important, perhaps, of Mr. Kinney's services to his country was in connection with Kossuth, the Hungarian exile then at Constantinople. The government of the United States had offered to transport him to America in a national ship, detached from the Mediterranean squadron at Spezzia, which was in the Sardinian dominions and subject to Mr. Kinney's supervision. He was thus enabled to give prompt instructions to the commander and information to his own government of the objects of the distinguished fugitive. Mr. Webster, at that time Secretary of State, being forewarned by Mr. Kinney's correspondence, thwarted Zossuth's philanthropic, but impracticable, efforts to enlist the United States in a foreign complication. Upon the expiration of his term of office, the Sardinian ministry offered to unite in a request to the united States government to allow him to remain in Turin, but he preferred to remove to Florence, where he could join the society of the Brownings, the Trollopes, Hiram Powers, and other American artists, who were his warm personal friends. During his residence in the latter city he became interested in the romantic history of the Medici family, and the mew information concerning them which his position enabled him to acquire induced him to begin a historical work on the subject which promised to be of great importance, but which he never completed. Mr. Kinney, with his family, returned to his home near the close of the late Rebellion, and thereafter led a retired life, the latter part of which was a protracted season of suffering. He died October 21, 1880, professing a sincere trust in the Christian faith and surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was twice married. His first wife was Mary Chandler, of Elizabeth, N.J., who died in 1841, and to whose only son, Thomas T. Kinney, the proprietorship of the Daily Advertiser was transferred some years before his death. He left a widow, who was the only surviving sister of the Hon. William E. Dodge, of New York, and two daughters, both of whom are married, one to Mr. William I. Kip, son of Bishop Kip, of California, and the other to Mr. Nelson S. Easton, of New York.∼see William Augustus Burnet Kinney for biographical
He was born at Speedwell [a section of Morristown], Morris Co., N.J., September 4, 1799, his ancestors being among the earlier settlers of the State. His father was a son of Sir Thomas Kinney, an English baronet, who was knighted on account of his scientific attainments, especially in mineralogy, and who visited America before the Revolution for the purpose of examining the mineral resources of New Jersey. Finding in Morris County, which then included Sussex, a wide field for operations, he made it his home, and was subsequently appointed by the crown, high sheriff; an office which he held till the Revolution severed the relations between the colonies and the mother country, when he renounced his allegiance to the crown. Mr. Kinney's mother was Hannah Burnet, a daughter of Dr. William Burnet, who descended from Bishop Burnet, an eminent divine, and author of "History of the Reformation," "History of his own Times," "Life of Sir Matthew Hale," and other works. The father of Dr. Burnet was William Burnet, the second colonial Governor and chancellor of New Jersey, as well as of New York, and subsequently of Massachusetts, and the doctor himself; after whom Mr. Kinney was named, was not only a distinguished physician of Newark, but a prominent man in the history of New Jersey, as may be seen by referring to a notice of him elsewhere given in this volume. Mr. Kinney's ancestors on both sides were, then, patriots of the Revolution, and his father, Abraham Kinney, was an officer in the war of 1812. He had but one brother, Thomas T. Kinney, Sr., a lawyer and legislator of 1817, elsewhere mentioned in this work. Young William B., while yet a boy, had done some service as a bearer of dispatches during the war of 1812, and being destined by his father for the army, was admitted as a cadet at West Point. But his father soon after died, and his mother, a woman of unusual force of character, believing that the talents which he possessed as an orator and a writer would be more advantageous to him in some other career, withdrew him from West Point, and placed him under the care of Mr. Whelply, author of "The Triangle," and father of the late Chief Justice Whelply. Subsequently he became a pupil of Rev. John Ford, D.D., an eminent classical teacher and the founder of the old Bloomfield Academy, a collegiate institute. Among his school-fellows in this institution were the late Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Cox and the late Rev. Dr. Philip C. Hay. He afterwards entered upon the study of law in his brother's office, and continued his studies with Mr. Hornblower (his cousin by marriage), who was afterwards chief justice of the State. Mr. Kinney's tastes were, however, more in the direction of literature and metaphysics, and as a writer, and speaker he showed more than ordinary powers. It thus happened that in the latter part of 1820 he became editor of the New Jersey Eagle, & weekly paper in Newark, N.J., a position which he held until 1825, when he went to New York in order to pursue his favorite studies. Here he took an active part in the establishment of the Mercantile Library, of which he acted as librarian, and became the friend and adviser of the Harper Brothers, who had recently begun the publishing business in that city, and who relied very much upon his taste and judgment in the selection of books for publication. At this time, also, he became deeply interested in the theological discussions of the day, and applied himself, in fact, so closely to study that his health became greatly impaired. Desirous of a change of atmosphere, and inclined, perhaps, to resume his old employment as an editor, he returned to Newark, and in 1833 was induced to take the management of the Daily Advertiser of that city, then the only daily paper in the State, which he united with the Sentinel of Freedom, a long-established weekly paper. To this journal Mr. Kinney gave a literary tone so high that it was said of him that his criticisms had more influence on the opinions of literary men than those of any other journalist of the time. In 1836 the honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, and in 1840 he was elected a trustee of that institution. During the same year he was elected a Presidential delegate to the convention which nominated General Harrison, but he declined to attend. In 1844 he was again chosen a delegate at-large, with the late Chancellor Green, to the Baltimore Whig Convention, and here the earnestness of his persuasive eloquence was largely instrumental in securing the nomination of his friend, the late Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, as a candidate for Vice-President with Mr. Clay. In 1848 he was nominated for Congress by the Whig Convention of the Fifth District of New Jersey. It was done very much against his wish, but he was finally persuaded to accept it as a political duty. The Democrats coalesced with the Independents, selecting the late Hon. William Wright as their candidate, and after a very bitter contest the latter was elected. In 1851, Mr. Kinney was appointed as United States minister to Sardinia, and on the eve of his departure was complimented by a farewell banquet in which leading men of all political parties joined. Chief Justice Hornblower presided, and among the speakers were Rev. Dr. S.I. Prime, of New York, and many others distinguished in church and State. The next day he was escorted to the steamship by a large concourse of friends from Newark, and the final parting was full of manifestations of affection and regret on both sides. His reception at Turin, the capital of Sardinia, was warm, and he soon became a favorite in the court circle which was just then engaged in settling the details of a constitutional government. Count Cavour and other master-minds of that kingdom, were, in constant consultation with Mr. Kinney with reference to the practical working of our republican system, and his influence was strongly apparent in the establishment of the liberal institutions of Italy. He also rendered signal services to the government of Great Britain in consultation with their ambassador, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and for some important diplomatic business entrusted to him received a handsome official acknowledgment in a special dispatch from Lord Palmerston. Through Mr. Kinney's instrumentality while in Turin, the Waldenses received great encouragement and sustaining aid. The most important, perhaps, of Mr. Kinney's services to his country was in connection with Kossuth, the Hungarian exile then at Constantinople. The government of the United States had offered to transport him to America in a national ship, detached from the Mediterranean squadron at Spezzia, which was in the Sardinian dominions and subject to Mr. Kinney's supervision. He was thus enabled to give prompt instructions to the commander and information to his own government of the objects of the distinguished fugitive. Mr. Webster, at that time Secretary of State, being forewarned by Mr. Kinney's correspondence, thwarted Zossuth's philanthropic, but impracticable, efforts to enlist the United States in a foreign complication. Upon the expiration of his term of office, the Sardinian ministry offered to unite in a request to the united States government to allow him to remain in Turin, but he preferred to remove to Florence, where he could join the society of the Brownings, the Trollopes, Hiram Powers, and other American artists, who were his warm personal friends. During his residence in the latter city he became interested in the romantic history of the Medici family, and the mew information concerning them which his position enabled him to acquire induced him to begin a historical work on the subject which promised to be of great importance, but which he never completed. Mr. Kinney, with his family, returned to his home near the close of the late Rebellion, and thereafter led a retired life, the latter part of which was a protracted season of suffering. He died October 21, 1880, professing a sincere trust in the Christian faith and surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was twice married. His first wife was Mary Chandler, of Elizabeth, N.J., who died in 1841, and to whose only son, Thomas T. Kinney, the proprietorship of the Daily Advertiser was transferred some years before his death. He left a widow, who was the only surviving sister of the Hon. William E. Dodge, of New York, and two daughters, both of whom are married, one to Mr. William I. Kip, son of Bishop Kip, of California, and the other to Mr. Nelson S. Easton, of New York.∼see William Augustus Burnet Kinney for biographical
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