1865 Town of New Plymouth by-election

New Zealand by-election April 2024 April 2022 1865 Town of New Plymouth by-election New Zealand 1865 presidential no 1864 Town of New Plymouth by-election 1864 by-election 1866 New Zealand general election 1866 general New Plymouth (New Zealand electorate) 1865 5 19 y 120x120px Henry Sewell Independent politician elected unopposed MP Charles Brown Henry Sewell Independent politician Independent politician The 1865 Town of New Plymouth by-election was a by-election held in the Town of New Plymouth electorate during the 3rd New Zealand Parliament, on 19 May 1865. The by-election was caused by the resignation of the incumbent, Charles Brown, and was won unopposed by Henry Sewell. Whilst Sewell was not a local resident, he was a member of the government through his appointment to the Legislative Council, the upper house of Parliament. Sewell accepted the invitation to represent the electorate, as him becoming a member of the lower house was seen to strengthen the government. Background Charles Brown Aged 33, Brown had been elected the first Superintendent of the Taranaki Province in 1853. He had served until his defeat in 1857 and had been re-elected in 1861, and held that post at the time of the 1865 by-election.A. H. McLintock Alexander Hare McLintock Foster Bernard John Brown, Charles http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/brown-charles/1 An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 13 June 2010 22 April 2009 20 October 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121020092852/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/brown-charles/1 dead Brown had first been elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in the 1855 in the Grey and Bell electorate, another constituency in Taranaki. Since an Town of New Plymouth 1864, he had been representing the Town of New Plymouth electorate.Wilson 1985 185 thumb|Brown's resignation, published on 15 April 1865 in the Taranaki Herald Brown resigned from the House of Representatives on 12 April 1865, and informed the electors via an advertisement in the next edition of the Taranaki Herald of his decision. The advertisement called for a meeting on the day of its publication where Brown would outline his reasons for resigning.To the Electors of the Town of New Plymouth https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH18650415.2.9.3 23 March 2014 Taranaki Herald 15 April 1865 XIII 663 2 Due to the short notice, only ten electors came and the meeting was postponed by a week.Local Intelligence https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH18650422.2.11 23 March 2014 Taranaki Herald 22 April 1865 XIII 664 3 At the next meeting, again held at the Masonic Hall in New Plymouth, 50 electors turned up, and Thomas Kelly took the chair. Brown explained that his principal objective as a member of the House of Representatives was to "watch the progress" of the Taranaki compensation.Resignation of his Honour the Superintendent as a Member of the General Assembly https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH18650429.2.9 23 March 2014 Taranaki Herald 29 April 1865 XIII 665 3 This compensation was in relation to the First and Second Taranaki War, where settlers were commandeered by the government to join the local militia, and once under military command, they had to watch when their homesteads were destroyed and their cattle were stolen without being able to respond, and the military hierarchy would not let them. Henry Sewell estimated the loss to the settlers at close to £200,000.Taranaki Compensation https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH18621115.2.20 23 March 2014 Taranaki Herald 15 November 1862 XI 537 4Taranaki Compensation https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH18640607.2.11 23 March 2014 The New Zealand Herald 7 June 1864 I 177 3 Another item of interest to him was the exchange of town sections, which the government had since assigned Henry Sewell to resolve. Brown noted that when Parliament was in session in Wellington, he could not simultaneously carry out his duties as Superintendent, as that required him to be in Taranaki, which caused problems for the province. The only issue that justified him remaining in the House of Representatives was to represent the area's interest with regards to the proposed harbour construction, but the cost estimate for this was still several months away. Attendees passed a motion that Brown had fulfilled his duties in an appropriate manner while he represented them in the House of Representatives. Henry Sewell Henry Sewell had first come to New Zealand as the deputy chairman (a paid position) of the Canterbury Association in February 1853. The Association was in financial crisis and Sewell was instrumental in resolving the debt issues for Canterbury Province.McIntyre W. David 1s8 12 February 2012 W. David McIntyre In August 1853 Sewell stood in New Zealand's first general election, winning the Town of Christchurch electorate, which he represented in the 1st New Zealand Parliament.Scholefield 1950 138 Sewell was re-elected in the 1855Scholefield 1950 138 and also elected onto the Canterbury Provincial Council for the Lyttelton electorate in 1855.Scholefield 1950 196 In May 1856, he became New Zealand's first Premier.Scholefield 1950 30 He resigned from Parliament later in 1856 but remained an unofficial member of Parliament's executive and returned to England on ministerial duties. Sewell returned to New Zealand in early 1859 and again took up a previous role as Colonial Treasurer.Scholefield 1950 32 He was re-elected to the House of Representatives in an Town of Christchurch 1860 and served until the end of the term in November 1860.Scholefield 1950 138 At the end of the session, he was dissatisfied with the actions of his former fellow Government ministers and did not seek re-election. Instead, he was appointed Registrar-General of Lands by Edward Stafford.McIntyre 1980 315 In August 1861, he was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council so that he could become part of the 2nd Fox Ministry as Attorney-General.Scholefield 1950 32, 85Wilson 1985 164 By all accounts, Sewell was a senior politician. The Lyttelton Times. Saturday, December 31, 1859 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=LT18591231.2.14 11 February 2012 Lyttelton Times XII 746 31 December 1859 4 Election Electors made a requisition to Henry Sewell, asking him to represent the electorate in the House of Representatives. The Taranaki Herald predicted that Sewell would accept the invitation, as it would strengthen the government by having him as a member of the lower house as opposed to the upper house. The Taranaki Herald further predicted that there would not be any opposition to Sewell's candidature. Sewell, who at the time was in Wellington, placed an advertisement in the 6 May edition of the Taranaki Herald accepting the invitation. Sewell stated that he would continue to look after the interests of Taranaki as a member of the government. The acceptance was dated 24 April; there were no telegraphs to New Plymouth at that time, but mail was carried by ship.Representation of the Town https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH18650506.2.38 25 March 2014 Taranaki Herald 6 May 1865 XIII 666 7 The Taranaki Herald put its support behind Sewell's candidature, too. At the nomination meeting on 19 May, Sewell was the only person proposed. He was thus declared elected unopposed by the returning officer.Local Intelligence https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH18650520.2.10 25 March 2014 Taranaki Herald 20 May 1865 XIII 668 3 Sewell resigned from the Legislative Council three days later.Wilson 1985 233 James Crowe Richmond was appointed to the Legislative Council to fill the vacancy left by Sewell.Jackson 1972 125 Richmond was appointed on 8 July 1865,Wilson 1985 162 which was soon after the 3rd Parliament began its fifth session.Wilson 1985 139 Sewell represented the Town of New Plymouth electorate until the end of the term in 1866, when he returned to live in England for some years. References Citations Jackson William Keith The New Zealand Legislative Council : a study of the establishment, failure and abolition of an upper house https://archive.org/details/newzealandlegisl0000jack registration 1972 University of Otago Press Dunedin McIntyre W. David W. David McIntyre II The Journal of Henry Sewell 1853–7 1980 Whitcoulls Publishers Christchurch 0-7233-0625-7 Scholefield Guy Guy Scholefield A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L I 1940 Department of Internal Affairs Wellington https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v1.pdf 21 September 2013 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 published in 1913 1985 V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer Wellington 154283103 New Plymouth 1865 Category:1865 elections in New Zealand Category:May 1865 in Oceania Category:Politics of Taranaki