1833 Bahamian general election

none General elections were held in the Bahamas in December 1833. They were the first elections in which non-white residents were able to vote, and three non-white candidates were elected to the General Assembly; Stephen Dillet, Thomas Minns and John Deane.Dwight C. Hart (2004) The Bahmian Parliament, 1729-2004: Commemorating the 275th anniversary, Jones Publications, p4 Background General elections had previously been held in 1832.Hart, p39 However, following a series of confrontations between the General Assembly and Governor Blayney Townley Balfour in 1833 over control of public buildings and the appointment of civil servants, Balfour dissolved the Assembly on 4 December 1833 after the Assembly voted by 21–2 to approve a resolution to withhold funding until the Governor accepted that the Assembly had control.Hart, pp60–61 Balfour ordered that elections be held within a fortnight, with the vote in Nassau set for 17 December. Electoral system The elections were the first to be held under the 1833 Act to Relieve His Majesty's Free Coloured and Black Subjects of the Bahamas Islands From All Civil Disability, which gave free non-white men over 21 the right to vote and stand in general elections in the territory, though slaves were still excluded.Hart, pp59–60 Although property qualifications still severely restricted the franchise, with only around 4% of the population eligible to vote, several non-white candidates ran in the elections. The 25 members of the Assembly were elected in 13 constituencies ranging in size from one to four seats. Results ConstituencyDate of electionCandidateVotes%NotesAndros Robert Duncome ElectedJohn Pinder ElectedCaicos John McIntosh ElectedCrooked Island John Meadows ElectedEastern District21 DecemberGeorge Anderson ElectedConrad Duncome ElectedEleuthera William Johnson ElectedRobert Millar ElectedWilliam Knowles ElectedExuma William Farrington ElectedHenry Armbrister ElectedJohn Meadows ElectedHarbour Island Henry Greenslade ElectedWilliam Vesey Munnings Jr ElectedHugh Kerr ElectedLong Island Henry Adderley ElectedNassau16 DecemberGeorge Wood7725.5ElectedStephen Dillet6722.2ElectedJohn Storr5518.2ElectedRobert Butler5518.2ElectedThomas Saunders258.3Thomas Forster227.3Neil M'Queen10.3San Salvador William Vesey Munnings Sr ElectedTurks Island Henshall Stubbs ElectedWatlings Island & Rum Key Charles Nesbitt ElectedWestern District18 DecemberThomas Minns4650.0ElectedJohn Deane4650.0ElectedSource: Hart, The Royal Gazette and Bahamas AdvertiserNassau The Royal Gazette and Bahamas Advertiser 18 December 1833, p2 Aftermath Henry Adderley, the elected member for Long Island, claimed that he had been elected "contrary to his wish and consent", and asked to be excused from the Assembly. The Assembly was opened on 17 January 1834.Hart, p62 In July 1834, several by-elections were held to elect additional members; George Anderson and Thomas Cartwright were elected from Exuma, George Adderly and Benjamin Sims Jr were elected from Long Island, James Malcolm was elected from Harbour Island, and George Camplejohn and Samuel Clutsam were elected from Eleuthera. References Category:1833 elections in North America 1833 Category:1833 in the British Empire Category:1833 in the Caribbean Category:19th century in the Bahamas Category:December 1833