1872 Wairau by-election

New Zealand by-election April 2024 April 2022 1872 Wairau by-election New Zealand 1872 By-election no 1871 New Zealand general election 1871 general 1875 Wairau by-election 1875 by-election 1872 02 19 y 120x150px Arthur Seymour Independent politician 161 56.89 120x150px Joseph Ward Independent politician 122 43.11 Member William Henry Eyes Arthur Seymour Independent politician Independent politician The Wairau by-election 1872 was a by-election held in the Wairau electorate during the 5th New Zealand Parliament, on 19 February 1872. The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP William Henry Eyes and was won by Arthur Seymour, who defeated Joseph Ward. Both candidates were prominent Marlborough politicians, and for both of them, this was their first attempt at election to the General Assembly. Background Incumbent William Henry Eyes became a member of the Marlborough Provincial Council in 1860, and in the 1861 general election,Scholefield 1940a 235 he became a member of the General Assembly for the Wairau electorate by defeating the incumbent, the later premier Frederick Weld.Defeat of Mr Weld at Wairau http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=WI18610226.2.7.2 16 October 2015 Wellington Independent XVI 1500 26 February 1861 3 Eyes was Superintendent of Marlborough Province from 1865 to 1870, but some of his actions as Superintendent made him a controversial figure.Scholefield 1940a 235 At the 1866, Eyes was returned unopposed for the Wairau electorate.News of the Day http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NENZC18660303.2.8 17 October 2015 Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle XXV 27 3 March 1866 3 In 1871, Eyes was challenged by Henry Redwood but remained the preferred representative by the voters.The Nelson Evening Mail http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM18710127.2.7 16 October 2015 The Nelson Evening Mail VI 23 26 February 1861 2Marlborough http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TC18710103.2.17 17 October 2015 Colonist XIV 1385 3 January 1871 3 In December 1871, Eyes was appointed Crown Lands Commissioner for the Marlborough Province and as a public servant, he could no longer hold a seat in parliament or the provincial council and had to resign.Local and General News http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=WI18711208.2.7 17 October 2015 Wellington Independent XXVI 3366 8 December 1871 2 This resignation triggered the parliamentary by-election. Arthur Seymour Arthur Seymour was another prominent politician in the Marlborough Province, and a strong rival of Eyes. Seymour was a member of the Marlborough Provincial Council almost continuously during its existence from 1860 to 1876. He was the leader of the Picton Party that managed to have the provincial buildings for Marlborough built in Picton instead of Blenheim. Seymour was Superintendent of Marlborough in 1864 and 1865, and when he was succeeded by Eyes, the capital seat was moved to Blenheim. The reason for Seymour's 1865 resignation was his appointment to the Legislative Council. Seymour in turn resigned from the Legislative Council in 1872 so that he could contest the Wairau by-election. In 1870, Seymour had commenced his second period as Superintendent for Marlborough Province.Scholefield 1940b 292 Joseph Ward Joseph Ward was a surveyor by trade, and he became a significant runholder who at one point had 50,000 sheep. He joined provincial politics in 1853 when the provinces were set up. For the first five years, he represented the Wairau electorate in the Nelson Provincial Council. The Marlborough Province split off from Nelson, Ward was elected onto the Marlborough Provincial Council and had continuous representation until the abolition of the provincial system in 1876.Scholefield 1940b 459f Like Seymour, standing in the Wairau by-election was Ward's first attempt of getting elected to the general assembly. Nomination The nomination meeting was held at Blenheim on Wednesday, 14 February. The show of hands resulted in 27 votes for Seymour, and 14 for Ward. The supporters of Ward demanded a poll, and the date for this was set as Monday, 19 February.The Nelson Evening Mail http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NEM18720217.2.7 18 October 2015 The Nelson Evening Mail VII 42 17 February 1872 2 Results Four polling booths were provided in the Wairau electorate, and 283 votes were cast. Both candidates won two of the booths, but they had significantly different voter bases. Seymour won the election with a majority of 39 votes. The results by polling booth were as follows: Booth Seymour Ward total Blenheim14588233 Renwicktown92433 Wairau Valley189 Flaxbourne628 total161122283 Seymour remained a member of the General Assembly until his resignation in 1875 prior to a trip to England. The resulting Wairau 1875 was won by Ward, who defeated William Sefton Moorhouse.Scholefield 1940b 459f Notes References Scholefield Guy Guy Scholefield A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L I 1940a Department of Internal Affairs Wellington https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v1.pdf 18 October 2015 Scholefield Guy Guy Scholefield A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : M–Addenda II 1940b Department of Internal Affairs Wellington https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v2.pdf 18 October 2015 Wairau 1872 Category:1872 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of the Marlborough District