1858 Dunedin Country by-election

New Zealand by-election April 2024 November 2015 1858 Dunedin Country by-election New Zealand 1858 presidential no 1855 New Zealand general election 1855 general election 1860 Dunedin Country by-election 1860 by-election Dunedin Country 1858 6 16 y 119 120x120px John Parkin Taylor Independent politician 73 61.3% Peter Napier Independent politician 46 38.7% MP John Cargill John Taylor Independent politician Independent politician The Dunedin Country by-election 1858 was a by-election held in the multi-member Dunedin Country electorate during the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, on 16 June 1858. The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP John Cargill and was won by John Taylor. Background The Dunedin Country electorate was one of the original 24 parliamentary electorates of New Zealand from 1853, and it was one of the two-member electorates.McRobie 1989 29f John Cargill was one of the original representatives of the Dunedin Country electorate, and he again won election in 1855; the second representative in 1855 was his father, William Cargill.Wilson 1985 188 Cargill Jr. was one of many members of the House of Representatives who resigned prior to the second session of the 2nd New Zealand Parliament. The house had not been convened in 1857Wilson 1985 139 and Cargill placed an advertisement in the Otago Witness on 12 September 1857, announcing his intention of handing in his resignation.To the Electors of the Dunedin Country District http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18570912.2.3.1 2 November 2015 Otago Witness 302 12 September 1857 2To the Electors of the Dunedin Country District [cont'd] http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18570912.2.3.2 2 November 2015 Otago Witness 302 12 September 1857 2The Otago Witness http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18570912.2.8 2 November 2015 302 12 September 1857 4 At the opening of the second session of the 2nd Parliament on 10 April 1858, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18580605.2.9 The General Assembly of New Zealand 5 June 1858 340 Otago Witness 4 30 April 2010 the speaker read out 14 resignations, including that of Cargill. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18580605.2.11 House of Representatives 5 June 1858 340 Otago Witness 5 30 April 2010 The Otago Witness discussed various potential candidates for the by-election prior to the nomination meeting. William Henry Teschemaker was known to have declined to be elected;The Otago Witness http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=OW18580605.2.8 2 November 2015 340 5 June 1858 4 he would later in the year be elected to Northern electorate of the Otago Provincial Council.Otago Coal http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=OW18581023.2.9.1 2 November 2015 Otago Witness 360 23 October 1858 5Scholefield 1950 223 The intentions of Alexander Chalmers were unknown. It was speculated that William Henry Valpy, Jr. would accept to be the representative. It was also known that John Taylor was interested in standing, but the Otago Witness had a strong dislike to him, as he frequently moved to new towns and had only been in Otago for a short time. A week later, the next edition of the Otago Witness discussed Taylor and Valpy as the only candidates who would contest the election; it was stated that both had no prior political experience.The Otago Witness http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=OW18580612.2.10 5 November 2015 341 12 June 1858 4 Valpy had, however, not offered himself for election, whilst Taylor had addressed the electors at a meeting. At the meeting, Taylor confirmed his political independence and inexperience:Colonial http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=LT18580619.2.10 5 November 2015 Lyttelton Times IX 587 19 June 1858 4 I must, however, distinctly state that, as I have hitherto but very superficially studied New Zealand politics, if elected, I go to the Assembly entirely unfettered by any pledge, excepting to oppose Dr. Menzies proposal for the division of the Province. Dr Menzies was a settler near the later town of Wyndham, and he was the leader of the Southland separatist movement, the initiative to split the Southland Province off from the Otago Province.Hall-Jones John 1M42 Menzies, James Alexander Robertson 23 May 2010 Nomination meeting The nomination meeting was held at the Dunedin court house on Tuesday, 15 June at noon.Notice http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=OW18580605.2.4.4 5 November 2015 Otago Witness 340 5 June 1858 3 John Gillies, the father of John Lillie Gillies, acted as the returning officer. John Taylor was proposed by Edward McGlashan and seconded by Dr William Purdie.Election of a Member for the House of Representatives http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=OW18580619.2.20 5 November 2015 Otago Witness 342 19 June 1858 5Untitled http://www.cemeteries.org.nz/stories/purdiewilliamdr270805.pdf Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand 5 November 2015 As no other candidates were proposed, the returning officer was just about to declare Taylor elected unopposed when several electors asked to be informed of Taylor's political opinions, and questions to that effect were put to him. The returning officer was unsure how to proceed, when William Cutten proposed to nominate a pro forma candidate so that the candidates are given the opportunity to state their attitudes to important political questions. To that end, Cutten proposed and G. Smith seconded Peter Murdoch Napier, a runholder and one of the original explorers of the Maniototo.The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Otago & Southland Provincial Districts 1905 http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc04Cycl-t1-body1-d6-d2-d56.html#name-430015-mention The Cyclopedia of New Zealand Cyclopedia Company Limited 1 May 2013 Christchurch Old Colonists Taylor and Napier then addressed the electors and answered questions. Their views differed on one issue only; whilst Napier favoured the introduction of the secret ballot, Taylor wanted to retain the status quo where electors would tell the returning officer their choice of favoured candidate, i.e. oral voting. Napier stated that he had not intended to be a candidate until proposed by Cutten. After a show of hands in favour of Taylor, Napier demanded a poll. Results The poll was held the following day from 12 noon. Taylor won the Dunedin polling booth by 51 votes to 20. The results from the outlying polling booths came in the following day, and at 12 noon on Friday, 18 June 1858, the returning officer declared Taylor elected. Despite the promises that he made to the electors, Taylor assisted in bringing in the New Provinces Act, which constituted Southland as a separate provincial district. This brought him into conflict with many of his constituents, and he chose to retire from parliament at the end of the electoral term in 1860.Scholefield 1940 373Wilson 1985 239 The Dunedin Country electorate was abolished at the same time.McRobie 1989 31–35 The separation of Southland from the Otago Province went ahead in March 1861, and Menzies was elected its first Superintendent, succeeded by Taylor in 1865.Scholefield 1950 224 The secret ballot was introduced in 1870, and first used in the 1871.The Secret Ballot http://www.elections.org.nz/election-day-through-years/secret-ballot Electoral Commission 5 November 2015 15 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20160213025814/http://www.elections.org.nz/election-day-through-years/secret-ballot 13 February 2016 dead Notes References Electoral Atlas of New Zealand McRobie Alan 1989 GP Books Wellington 0-477-01384-8 Scholefield Guy Guy Scholefield A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : M–Addenda II 1940 Department of Internal Affairs Wellington https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v2.pdf 7 November 2015 Guy Scholefield Scholefield Guy New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 3rd First published in 1913 1950 Govt. Printer Wellington Wilson Jim Jim Wilson (librarian) New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 4th First published in 1913 1985 V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer Wellington 154283103 Dunedin Country 1858 Category:1858 elections in New Zealand Category:June 1858 Category:1850s in Dunedin Category:Politics of Dunedin