Henry Starnes

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Henry Starnes (October 13, 1816 – March 3, 1896) was a Quebec businessman and political figure.

He was born in Kingston in Upper Canada in 1816 and studied at the Montreal Academical Institution and the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. He began work with James Leslie's food importing business in Montreal and became a partner in the business in 1849. He then served as director for several banks in Montreal. He was elected to city council in 1852 and served as mayor from 1856 to 1858 and 1866 to 1868. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Châteauguay in 1858; he was reelected in 1861. He was named to the Legislative Council of Quebec for Salaberry division in 1867. In 1859, he had become manager for the Montreal branch of the Ontario Bank; in 1871, he helped establish the Metropolitan Bank and became its first president. That bank served as a conduit for transferring contributions from Sir Hugh Allan to George-Étienne Cartier; in exchange, Cartier had promised Allan the contract for the transcontinental railroad. The exposure of this arrangement led to the Pacific Scandal and the fall of John A. Macdonald's Conservative government. The Metropolitan Bank closed in 1876; Starnes' unorthodox financial management was blamed for its collapse. He served as speaker for the legislative council from 1878 to 1882; he served in the provincial executive council as railway commissioner from 1882 to 1884 and commissioner of agriculture and public works in 1887.

He died in Montreal in 1896.

[edit] External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Biography from Assemblée nationale du Québec (french)

Preceded by: Wolfred Nelson	Mayor of Montreal 1856-58	Succeeded by: Charles-Séraphin Rodier
Preceded by: Jean-Louis Beaudry	Mayor of Montreal 1866-68	Succeeded by: William Workman