1898 British Columbia general election

Canadian provincial election September 2023 The 1898 British Columbia general election was held in 1898. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Unlike in the previous BC general election, in 1898 of the 38 MLAs 24 were elected in single member districts. There were also three 2-member districts and two 4-member districts. Each voter could cast as many votes as there were seats to fill in the district.Electoral History of BC, 1871-1986, p. 545 Party politics There were no political parties in this election — until the 1903 election, British Columbia politics were officially non-partisan and political parties were not part of the process. This trend began to change in the 1898 and 1900 elections with the appearance of party-designated candidates and some party-declared members; for example, Ralph Smith in South Nanaimo. The political alignments designated at the time of the dropping of the writ did not necessarily have anything to do with the jockeying for power and support once the election returns were in. Therefore, members shown as "Government" or "Opposition" only ran under that slate and had no necessary allegiances or party loyalties to follow. If a new government formed from the "Opposition" slate, as here with Charles Augustus Semlin, there was nothing to say that someone who'd run under the "Government" banner might not cross the floor either to join the governing caucus, or actually be invited over to take a cabinet position. In the table below, the seating is only as it was when the House convened. The failure of Semlin's government fell on the shoulders of an over-ambitious Joseph Martin by early 1900. He held on to power despite a petition from Members of the House to the Lieutenant-Governor, but the Lieutenant-Governor, Thomas Robert McInnes, continued to support Martin so long as there was no sitting of the House, such that a situation of non-confidence could be proven, even though Martin had only himself and one other member in his caucus. Martin held out for six months, but the inevitable sitting of the House and immediate vote of non-confidence and subsequent election removed him from power and brought in James Dunsmuir. It was because of this debacle, born in this election and the ones that preceded it, that party politics was finally introduced to British Columbia for the 1903 election. Results by riding Results of British Columbia general election, 1898 |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Charles William Digby Clifford |align="center" rowspan=2|CassiarGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |AlberniOpposition |align="center"|Alan Webster Neill |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|John Irving |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" rowspan=2|CaribooOpposition |align="center"|Hans Lars Helgesen |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|James Dunsmuir |align="center" |ComoxGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center"|John Charlton Kinchant |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Charles Edward Pooley |align="center" |EsquimaltOpposition |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |EsquimaltOpposition |align="center"|David Williams Higgins |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|William Russell Robertson |align="center" |CowichanGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |Lillooet EastOpposition |align="center"|James Douglas Prentice |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|William George Nielson |align="center" |East Kootenay (north riding)Government |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |Nanaimo CityOpposition |align="center"|Robert Edward McKechnie |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|James Baker |align="center" |East Kootenay (south riding)Government |BC Government background|     |BC Labour background|     |align="center" |South NanaimoLabour |align="center"|Ralph Smith |BC Labour background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Alfred Wellington Smith |align="center" |Lillooet WestGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" rowspan=4 |Vancouver CityOpposition |align="center"|Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Alexander Henderson |align="center" |New Westminster CityGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center"|Robert Macpherson |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|John Bryden |align="center" |North NanaimoGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center"|Joseph Martin |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|John Paton Booth |align="center" |North VictoriaGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center"|Charles Edward Tisdall |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|David McEwen Eberts |align="center" |South VictoriaGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |West Kootenay-NelsonOpposition |align="center"|John Frederick Hume |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Richard Hall |align="center" rowspan=4 |Victoria CityGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |West Kootenay-RevelstokeOpposition |align="center"|James M. Kellie |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Henry Dallas Helmcken |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |West Kootenay-RosslandOpposition |align="center"|James Morris Martin |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Albert Edward McPhillips |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |West Kootenay-SlocanOpposition |align="center"|Robert Francis Green |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|John Herbert Turner1 |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |Westminster-ChilliwhackOpposition |align="center"|Charles William Munro |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Richard McBride |align="center" |Westminster-DewdneyGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |Westminster-DeltaOpposition |align="center"|Thomas William Forster |BC Opposition background|     |- |BC Government background|     |align="center"|Price Ellison |align="center" |Yale-EastGovernment |BC Government background|     |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |Westminster-RichmondOpposition |align="center"|Thomas Kidd |BC Opposition background|     |- | | | | |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |Yale-NorthOpposition |align="center"|Francis John Deane |BC Opposition background|     |- | | | | |BC Opposition background|     |align="center" |Yale-WestOpposition |align="center"|Charles Augustus Semlin2 |BC Opposition background|     |- | |align-left"|1 Incumbent Premier | | | | |align-left"|2 Premier-Elect |- | align="center" colspan="10"|Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20041208073500/http://www.elections.bc.ca/elections/electoral_history/8ge1898-1.html http://www.elections.bc.ca/elections/electoral_history/8ge1898-1.html 2004-12-08 Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986 Part One 8th General Election 1898 dead elections.bc.ca December 8, 2004 |- |} References In the Sea of Sterile Mountains: The Chinese in British Columbia, Joseph Morton, J.J. Douglas, Vancouver (1974). Despite its title, a fairly thorough account of the politicians and electoral politics in early BCE. Category: elections in Canada Election Category:July 1898 in North America