1855 New Zealand general election

New Zealand general election held in 1855 April 2024 April 2022 1855 general election New Zealand Flag of the United Kingdom (1-2).svg parliamentary no 1853 New Zealand general election 1853 1st New Zealand Parliament 1860–1861 New Zealand general election 1860–61 3rd New Zealand Parliament All 37 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives 26 October – 28 December 1855 elected members 150px Henry Sewell Independent politician Town of Christchurch 37 seats 37 Premier Subsequent Premier Office Established Henry Sewell Independent politician The 1855 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 2nd term. It was the second national election ever held in New Zealand, and the first one which elected a Parliament that had full authority to govern the colony. Background The first New Zealand elections had been held after the passage of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The 1st Parliament did not have the ability to appoint the executive branch (Cabinet) of the New Zealand government, however, and a major dispute arose between Parliament and the Governor. In the 2nd Parliament, Parliament gained the powers it sought — for this reason, some see the 1855 elections, not the 1853 elections, as the beginning of New Zealand democracy. At the time of the 1855 elections, there were no political parties in New Zealand. As such, all candidates were independents. Governments were formed based on loose coalitions, with prospective Prime Ministers needing to seek support from enough individual MPs to command a majority. This means that nobody could truly be said to have "won" an election — a government usually rose or fell based on its ability to make deals with MPs, not on election results. The election In the 1855 elections, voting occurred on a different day for each individual seat. The first seat was elected on 26 October, and the final seat was elected on 28 December. An estimated 9,891 people were eligible to vote, although records are poor for some areas. The number of electoral districts was 24, with some districts electing multiple MPs. The total number of seats was 37.General elections 1853–2005 – dates & turnout http://www.elections.org.nz/events/past-events/general-elections-1853-2014-dates-and-turnout Elections New Zealand 12 September 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20141114115332/http://www.elections.org.nz/events/past-events/general-elections-1853-2014-dates-and-turnout 14 November 2014 dead Some parts of the colony were not part of any district, and did not have representation in Parliament.Wilson 1985 Results Image:NewZealandElectorates1853-Labeled.png Member Electorate Province MP's term Election date John Cuff John Cuff (politician) Akaroa Canterbury First dmy 12 28Scholefield 1950 102 John Logan Campbell City of Auckland City of Auckland (New Zealand electorate) Auckland First dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 99 Thomas Beckham City of Auckland City of Auckland (New Zealand electorate) Auckland First dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 95 William Daldy City of Auckland City of Auckland (New Zealand electorate) Auckland First dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 102 Frederick Merriman Frederick Merriman (politician) Auckland Suburbs Auckland Second dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 126 Walter Brodie Auckland Suburbs Auckland First dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 97 Hugh Carleton Bay of Islands Auckland Second dmy 11 24Scholefield 1950 99 Dingley Brittin Dingley Askham Brittin Christchurch Country Canterbury First dmy 12 20Scholefield 1950 97 John Hall John Hall (New Zealand politician) Christchurch Country Canterbury First dmy 12 20Scholefield 1950 111 Henry Sewell Town of Christchurch Christchurch (New Zealand electorate) Canterbury Second dmy 12 18Scholefield 1950 138 John Cargill John Cargill (politician) Dunedin Country Otago Second dmy 12 11Scholefield 1950 99 William Cargill William Cargill (New Zealand politician) Dunedin Country Otago First dmy 12 11Scholefield 1950 99 James Macandrew Town of Dunedin City of Dunedin (New Zealand electorate) Otago Second dmy 12 11Scholefield 1950 121 Charles Brown Charles Brown (New Zealand politician) Grey and Bell New Plymouth First dmy 11 08Scholefield 1950 97 Alfred Ludlam Hutt Wellington Second dmy 11 16Scholefield 1950 120 Dillon Bell Hutt Wellington First dmy 11 16Scholefield 1950 95 James FitzGerald James FitzGerald (New Zealand politician) Town of Lyttelton Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate) Canterbury Second dmy 12 21Scholefield 1950 106 Charles Parker Charles Parker (New Zealand politician) Motueka and Massacre Bay Nelson First dmy 11 08Scholefield 1950 131 Alfred Domett Town of Nelson Nelson (New Zealand electorate) Nelson First dmy 11 12Scholefield 1950 104 Edward Stafford Edward Stafford (politician) Town of Nelson Nelson (New Zealand electorate) Nelson First dmy 11 12Scholefield 1950 140 William Richmond politician Town of New Plymouth New Plymouth (New Zealand electorate) New Plymouth First dmy 11 05Scholefield 1950 136 Thomas Henderson Thomas Henderson (New Zealand politician) Northern Division Auckland First dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 113 Walter Lee Walter Lee (New Zealand politician) Northern Division Auckland Second dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 120 Alfred East Alfred William East Omata New Plymouth First dmy 11 10Scholefield 1950 104 John Williamson John Williamson (New Zealand politician) Pensioner Settlements Auckland First dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 148 Joseph Greenwood Pensioner Settlements Auckland Second dmy 10 27Scholefield 1950 109 Charles Taylor Charles John Taylor Southern Division Auckland Second dmy 10 26Scholefield 1950 143 Robert Graham Robert Graham (New Zealand politician) Southern Division Auckland First dmy 10 26Scholefield 1950 109 Charles Elliott Charles Elliott (New Zealand politician) Waimea Nelson Firstdmy 11 5Election of members to represent the Waimea districts https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NENZC18551107.2.8 13 November 2020 Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle XIV 7 November 1855 2 William Travers William Travers (New Zealand politician) Waimea Nelson Second dmy 11 5 John Smith J. Valentine Smith Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay Wellington First dmy 11 26Scholefield 1950 139 William Wells William Wells (New Zealand politician) Wairau Nelson First dmy 11 19Scholefield 1950 147 William Fox William Fox (New Zealand politician) Wanganui and Rangitikei Wellington First dmy 11 27Scholefield 1950 107 Charles Clifford Sir Charles Clifford, 1st Baronet City of Wellington Wellington (New Zealand electorate) Wellington Second dmy 11 13Scholefield 1950 100 Isaac Featherston City of Wellington Wellington (New Zealand electorate) Wellington Second dmy 11 13Scholefield 1950 105 William Fitzherbert William Fitzherbert (politician, born 1810) City of Wellington Wellington (New Zealand electorate) Wellington First dmy 11 13Scholefield 1950 106 Dudley Ward Dudley Ward (judge) Wellington Country Wellington First dmy 11 15Scholefield 1950 146 Notes References Scholefield Guy New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 Guy Scholefield 3rd First ed. published 1913 1950 Govt. Printer Wellington Wilson Jim Jim Wilson (librarian) New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 4th First ed. published 1913 1985 V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer Wellington 154283103