1887 New Zealand general election

1887 general election
7 (Māori) & 26 (general) September 1887
All 95 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives
48 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout67.1%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Harry Atkinson Robert Stout
Party Conservatives Stout–Vogelites
Leader since 1883 1884
Leader's seat Egmont Dunedin East (lost seat)
Seats won 52 34
Seat change Increase 20 Decrease 23
Popular vote N/A N/A
Percentage N/A N/A
Swing N/A N/A
Premier before election

Robert Stout
Independent

 Subsequent Premier

Harry Atkinson
Independent

The 1887 New Zealand general election was held on 26 September[1] to elect 95 MPs to the tenth session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 7 September. 175,410 votes (67.1% turnout) were cast.[2] In 5 seats there was only one candidate.[3]

1887 electoral redistribution

The Representation Act 1887 had major implication for the procedure of revising electoral boundaries. The revision task was transferred from committees formed by MPs to a permanent Representation Commission. The act specified that a country quota of 18% be applied to all designated districts that excluded boroughs with a population above 2,000 people, and that all electorates were to have the same nominal population within a tolerance of 750 people. It was also stipulated that electoral boundaries were to be reviewed after each New Zealand census.[4]

In the 1887 electoral redistribution, although the Representation Commission was required through the Representation Act 1887 to maintain existing electorates "as far as possible", rapid population growth in the North Island required the transfer of three seats from the South Island to the north. Ten new electorates were created: Auckland Central, Woodville, Wellington South and Suburbs, Masterton, Wellington East, Waimea-Picton, Linwood, Rangitata, Waihemo, and Ponsonby. One former electorate, Wairarapa, was recreated.[5]

1887 was the year the Independent Representation Commission was established to redraw electorate boundaries after each five-yearly population census. The country quota was reduced to 18%. A £10 candidate's deposit was introduced.[4]

The Scarecrow ministry

The Stout-Vogel government had been soundly beaten. Only 34 returned members supported the government, whilst 52 opposition MPs were elected as well as nine independents.[6] This led to much confusion in Wellington in September 1887 when the members gathered to form a government. John Bryce, William Rolleston and Robert Stout had all lost their seats. Sir John Hall said he was too old. Sir Julius Vogel's policies had been rejected by the voters.

So there was no alternative to Harry Atkinson, and after two weeks of negotiations he announced a ministry on 11 October. Only two ministers had served with him before. The Scarecrow ministry was not expected to last, but did.

The years 1887 and 1888 were the worst of the Long Depression, and Atkinson cut salaries, raised loans and raised customs duties. He was not popular with the wealthy, but they feared the Opposition leaders Grey and Ballance even more. By 1890 Atkinson was too ill to make speeches in the House.

Results

The following table shows the results of the 1887 general election:

Key to affiliations

  Stout-Vogelite   Conservative   Independent

Note that as the election was held before the establishment of formal political parties, the affiliation should only be regarded as an approximate indication of the division of political opinion.

Electorate results for the 1887 New Zealand general election[7][8][9]
Electorate Incumbent Winner Majority Runner up
General electorates
Akaroa William Montgomery Alexander McGregor 330 William Barnett
Ashburton William Campbell Walker 555 Charles Purnell
Ashley William Pearson 239 Robert Luke Higgins
Auckland Central New electorate George Grey Uncontested
Auckland North Thomas Thompson 35 Samuel Vaile
Auckland West Joseph Dargaville David Goldie 194 John Shera
Avon Edwin Blake 342 Edward George Wright
Awarua James Parker Joyce Joseph Ward 259 George Froggart
Bay of Islands Richard Hobbs 146 John Lundon
Bruce Donald Reid Crawford Anderson 31 Donald Reid
Buller Eugene O'Conor 151 John Munro
Caversham William Barron 230 Robert Rutherford
Cheviot James Dupré Lance 297 Walter Macfarlane
Christchurch North Sir Julius Vogel 523 Henry Roberts
Christchurch South John Holmes Westby Perceval 393 Aaron Ayers[10]
Clutha James Thomson Thomas Mackenzie 336 James Thomson
Coromandel Alfred Cadman 59 J Mackay
Dunedin Central Thomas Bracken Frederick Fitchett 170 Edward Cargill
Dunedin East Sir Robert Stout James Allen 29 Sir Robert Stout
Dunedin South James Gore Henry Fish 325 James Gore
Dunedin West William Downie Stewart Sr. 13 Thomas Dick
Dunstan Vincent Pyke Uncontested
East Coast Samuel Locke Andrew Graham 161 Allan McDonald
Eden Joseph Tole Edwin Mitchelson 436 J A Connell
Egmont Harry Atkinson 110 Felix McGuire
Foxton James Wilson 381 E S Thynne
Franklin North Frank Buckland Frank Lawry 32 Frank Buckland
Franklin South Ebenezer Hamlin 29 Benjamin Harris
Gladstone James Sutter Arthur Rhodes 126 Jeremiah Twomey
Greymouth Arthur Guinness 186 Joseph Petrie
Hawkes Bay William Russell 406 Arthur Desmond
Heathcote Frederic Jones 447 J H Hopkins
Hokitika John Bevan Joseph Grimmond 220 John Bevan
Hokonui Cuthbert Cowan 56 Alfred Baldey
Hutt Henry Fitzherbert 65 Thomas Mason
Inangahua Andrew Stuart-Menteath Richard Reeves Uncontested
Invercargill Joseph Hatch Henry Feldwick 44 Henry Jaggers
Kaiapoi Edward Richardson 116 Richard Moore
Kumara Richard Seddon Uncontested
Lincoln Arthur O'Callaghan 11 Alfred Saunders
Linwood New electorate Andrew Loughrey 368 William Flesher
Lyttelton Harry Allwright John Joyce 200 Harry Allwright
Manawatu Douglas Macarthur 132 G L West
Manukau Maurice O'Rorke 67 S S Osborne
Marsden Edwin Mitchelson Robert Thompson 405 Joseph Dargaville
Masterton New electorate George Beetham 268 Alexander Hogg
Mataura George Richardson 127 James Mackintosh[11]
Motueka Richmond Hursthouse John Kerr 141 Richmond Hursthouse
Mount Ida Scobie Mackenzie 246 Owen Hodge
Napier John Davies Ormond 58 Joseph Ivess
Nelson Henry Levestam 239 Jesse Piper
Newton Thomas Peacock Edward Withy 95 Joseph Tole
New Plymouth Oliver Samuel 364 Edward Smith
Oamaru Thomas Hislop 236 William Henry Frith[12]
Parnell Frederick Moss 30 Seymour Thorne George
Peninsula William Larnach 170 Thomas Begg[13]
Ponsonby New electorate Thomas Peacock 12 C S Wright
Port Chalmers James Mills 704 James Green
Rangitata New electorate Searby Buxton 45 William Rolleston
Rangitikei Robert Bruce 224 John Stevens
Rodney William Pollock Moat 149 Jackson Palmer
Roslyn Archibald Hilson Ross 118 William Hutchison
Selwyn Edward Wakefield Sir John Hall 201 John McLachlan
St Albans Francis Garrick William Pember Reeves 164 Francis Garrick
Sydenham Richard Molesworth Taylor 374 John Crewes
Taieri James Fulton 7 Walter Carncross
Taranaki Robert Trimble George Marchant 47 J Elliot
Tauranga Lawrence Grace William Kelly 25 Richard John Gill
Te Aro Francis Fraser Andrew Stuart-Menteath 159 Francis Fraser
Thames William Fraser 178 James McGowan
Thorndon Alfred Newman 448 William McLean
Timaru Richard Turnbull 238 Edward Kerr
Tuapeka James Brown 40 James Bennet
Waihemo New electorate John McKenzie 50 John Buckland
Waikaia New electorate Hugh Valentine 1 Francis Mackenzie[nb 1]
Waikato John Blair Whyte 155 George Russell
Waimate William Steward 50 John Manchester
Waimea-Picton New electorate Arthur Seymour 2 Joseph Harkness
Waipa Edward Lake William Jackson 487 J B Teasdale
Waipawa William Cowper Smith Thomas Tanner 87 John Harker
Wairarapa New electorate Walter Buchanan 128 Henry Bunny
Wairau Henry Dodson 66 George Henderson
Waitaki Thomas Young Duncan 29 John Reid
Waitemata Richard Monk 373 Reader Wood
Waitotara John Bryce George Hutchinson 49 John Bryce
Wakatipu Thomas Fergus Uncontested
Wallace Henry Hirst Samuel Hodgkinson 6 Henry Hirst
Wanganui John Ballance 435 Gilbert Carson
Wellington East New electorate George Fisher 418 W Robertson
Wellington South and Suburbs New electorate Charles Izard 266 J Coombe
Woodville New electorate William Cowper Smith 161 Horace Baker
Maori electorates[14][nb 2]
Eastern Maori Wi Pere James Carroll[15][16] 186 Wi Pere
Northern Maori Wi Katene Sydney Taiwhanga[15] 301 Wi Katene
Southern Maori Tame Parata[17][18] 37 Thomas Ellison
Western Maori Hoani Taipua 624 Wiremu Te Wheoro

Table footnotes:

  1. ↑ Mackenzie was first on election night for Waikaia, but lost on a recount.
  2. ↑ The affiliation of many of the Maori candidates is unknown or uncertain

Notes

  1. ↑ "THE GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS". No. 6043. Star. 27 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  2. ↑ "General elections 1853-2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  3. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 286.
  4. 1 2 McRobie 1989, p. 51.
  5. ↑ McRobie 1989, pp. 50–53.
  6. ↑ "Summary of the Results". No. 6868. The Press. 28 September 1887. p. 5. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "The General Election, 1887". National Library. 1887. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Polling". The Press. Vol. XLIV, no. 6868. 28 September 1887. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Other Districts". The Press. Vol. XLIV, no. 6868. 28 September 1887. p. 5.
  10. ↑ "Christchurch South". The Star. No. 6034. 16 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  11. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1905). "Old Colonists". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Otago & Southland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  12. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1905). "Flourmillers, Grocers, Etc". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Otago & Southland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  13. ↑ "Election Notes". Otago Daily Times. No. 7972. 9 September 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  14. ↑ "The Maori electorates". Otago Witness. No. 1869. 16 September 1887. p. 22.
  15. 1 2 "Maori Electorates". Hawera & Normanby Star. Vol. IX, no. 1724. 9 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  16. ↑ "Election News". Ashburton Guardian. Vol. VII, no. 1638. 17 August 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "The Maori Members". The Press. Vol. XLIV, no. 6861. 20 September 1887. p. 6. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "The Southern Native Member". The Press. Vol. XLIV, no. 6856. 14 September 1887. p. 6. Retrieved 16 January 2014.

References

  • Bassett, Judith (1969). Sir Harry Atkinson. Wellington: AH & AW Reed.
  • Bassett, Judith (1975). Sir Harry Atkinson, 1831–1892. Auckland: Auckland/Oxford University Presses. ISBN 0-19-647934-7.
  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • Wilson, Jim (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
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