Dublin Politician
In 1851 he was elected the first Lord Mayor of Dublin under the reformed corporation.
In 1863 he was made an honorary LL.D. (Doctor of Laws) by Trinity College Dublin, and on 15 April 1867 was created a baronet by patent, in addition to which, on 18 May 1867, by royal license, he had a grant of supporters to his family arms.
Guinness was elected to the House of Commons in 1865 as a Conservative representative for Dublin City, serving until his death. His party's leader was Lord Derby. Previously he had supported the Liberal Lord Palmerston, but in the 1860s the Liberals proposed higher taxation on drinks such as beer. Before 1865 the Irish Conservative Party did not entirely support British conservative policy, but did so after the Irish Church Act 1869.
Read more about this topic: Benjamin Guinness
Famous quotes containing the word politician:
“It must have looked as if the course
He steered was really straight away
From that which he was headed for
Not much concerned for them, I say;
No more so than became a man
And politician at odd seasons.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)