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1861 Newfoundland general election
Election in Canada
Election in Canada
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| election_name | 1861 Newfoundland general election | |
| type | parliamentary | |
| party_colour | no | |
| party_name | no | |
| flag_image | File:Flag of the Dominion of Newfoundland.svg | |
| previous_election | 1859 Newfoundland general election | |
| previous_year | 1859 | |
| previous_mps | [outgoing members](7th-general-assembly-of-newfoundland-members-of-the-assembly) | |
| election_date | May 2, 1861 | |
| elected_mps | [members](8th-general-assembly-of-newfoundland-members-of-the-assembly) | |
| next_election | 1865 Newfoundland general election | |
| next_year | 1865 | |
| seats_for_election | 30 seats of the Newfoundland House of Assembly | |
| majority_seats | 16 | |
| image1 | [[File:HughHoyles1861.jpg | 150x150px]] |
| colour1 | 006699 | |
| leader1 | Hugh Hoyles | |
| leader_since1 | 1855 | |
| party1 | Conservative | |
| leaders_seat1 | Burin | |
| last_election1 | 12 | |
| seats1 | **16** | |
| seat_change1 | 4 | |
| popular_vote1 | 84 | |
| percentage1 | 1.50% | |
| swing1 | 28.65% | |
| image2 | [[File:John Kent (Prowse).jpg | 150x150px]] |
| colour2 | E62020 | |
| leader2 | John Kent | |
| leader_since2 | 1858 | |
| party2 | Liberal | |
| leaders_seat2 | St. John's East | |
| last_election2 | 18 | |
| seats2 | 14 | |
| seat_change2 | 4 | |
| popular_vote2 | **5,184** | |
| percentage2 | **92.52%** | |
| swing2 | 22.67% | |
| map_size | 400px | |
| title | Premier | |
| before_election | Hugh Hoyles | |
| before_party | Conservative | |
| after_election | Hugh Hoyles | |
| posttitle | Premier after election | |
| after_party | Conservative | |
| ongoing | no |
The 1861 Newfoundland general election was held on May 2, 1861 to elect the members of the 8th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Newfoundland Colony. It was triggered following the forced resignation of Premier John Kent by Governor Alexander Bannerman after Kent accused Bannerman of colluding with the Conservative Party. Bannerman had appointed Conservative leader Hugh Hoyles as the new Premier, but Kent quickly passed a motion of non-confidence against Hoyles' administration, forcing Bannerman to call an election.
The election was fraught with sectarian tensions. Most districts went uncontested for fear of violence. Riots prevented an election from occurring in the district of Harbour Grace. A violent confrontation broke out in Salmon Cove within the Harbour Main district, killing one man and injuring nine others, and the returns for that district were subsequently invalidated by the House of Assembly. A political deadlock ensued, and no party controlled the legislature until a by-election held in Harbour Grace in November 1861 finally gave Hoyles' Conservatives a majority government. Ambrose Shea subsequently became the leader of the Liberal Party.
Results
| Party | Leader | [1859](1859-newfoundland-general-election) | Candidates | Seats won | Seat change | % of seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (% change) | Popular vote | % of vote | |||||
| (% change) | Totals | 30 | 34 | 30 | 100% | 5,603 | 100% |
| Conservative | Hugh Hoyles | 12 | 15 | 16 | 4 | 53.33% | |
| (13.33%) | 84 | 1.50% | |||||
| (28.65%) | Liberal | John Kent | 18 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 46.67% |
| (13.33%) | 5,184 |
Results by district
- Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
- † indicates that the incumbent did not run again.
- ‡ indicates that the incumbent ran in a different district.
- $ indicates that the incumbent was initially nominated for re-election, but they later chose to withdraw from the race.
St. John's
|- || |John Kavanagh 1,489 33.70% 335 7.58% ||
| John Kent |
|---|
| Robert Parsons |
| 1,309 |
| 29.62% |
| John Kavanagh |
| - |
| John Kent |
| 1,286 |
| 29.10% |
| Robert Parsons |
| - |
| John Casey |
| Won by acclamation |
| | ||
| John Casey |
|---|
| Thomas Talbot |
| Won by acclamation |
| | ||
| Thomas Dwyer† |
|---|
| Henry Renouf |
| Won by acclamation |
| | ||
| Pierce Barron$ |
|---|
| } |
Conception Bay
|- || |John Bemister Won by acclamation | | | | ||
| John Bemister |
|---|
| | || |Edmund Hanrahan Won by acclamation | | ||
| Edmund Hanrahan |
|---|
| |John Hayward No returns declared | | ||
| John Hayward |
|---|
| |James Prendergast No returns declared | | ||
| James Prendergast |
|---|
| | | |George Hogsett 316 24.82% || |Patrick Nowlan (Independent Liberal) 325 25.53% ||
| Patrick Nowlan |
|---|
| | | |Charles Furey 310 24.35% || |Thomas Byrne (Independent Liberal) 322 25.29% ||
| Charles Furey |
|---|
| John Leamon |
| Won by acclamation |
| | | | ||
| John Leamon |
|---|
| } |
Avalon Peninsula
|- 84 7.09% || |Edward Shea 571 48.23% ||
| Thomas Glen |
|---|
| Thomas Glen |
| 529 |
| 44.68% |
| Edward Shea |
| - |
| | || |Ambrose Shea Won by acclamation || |George Hogsett‡ (ran in Harbour Main) |- | | || |William Flood Won by acclamation ||
| John English† |
|---|
| | || |Richard McGrath Won by acclamation || |Richard McGrath |}
Eastern and Central Newfoundland
|- || |Stephen March Won by acclamation ||
| Stephen March |
|---|
| John Warren |
| Won by acclamation |
| John Warren |
| - |
| Matthew Walbank |
| Won by acclamation |
| Matthew Walbank |
| - |
| Stephen Rendell |
| Won by acclamation |
| Stephen Rendell |
| - |
| John Winter |
| Won by acclamation |
| John Winter |
| - |
| Frederick Carter |
| Won by acclamation |
| Frederick Carter |
| - |
| William Whiteway |
| Won by acclamation |
| William Whiteway |
| - |
| Thomas Knight |
| Won by acclamation |
| Thomas Knight |
| } |
Southern Newfoundland
|- || |D. W. Prowse Won by acclamation || |Hugh Hoyles‡ (ran in Burin) |- || |Edward Evans Won by acclamation || |Ambrose Shea‡ (ran in Placentia and St. Mary's) |- || |Hugh Hoyles Won by acclamation ||
| James Rogerson† |
|---|
| Robert Carter |
| Won by acclamation |
| Robert Carter |
| } |
Notes
References
References
- (9 May 1861). "Carbonear Election". Newfoundland Express.
- (9 May 1861). "Special Return". Newfoundland Express.
- (11 May 1861). "Result of the contest for the District of Ferryland". Newfoundland Express.
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