Prince Edward (provincial electoral district)

This article is about the former provincial electoral district. For the former federal electoral district, see Prince Edward (federal electoral district). For the pre-Confederation electoral district, see Prince Edward (Province of Canada electoral district).

Prince Edward

Ontario electoral district
Defunct provincial electoral district
Legislature	Legislative Assembly of Ontario
District created	1867
District abolished	1933
First contested	1867
Last contested	1929

Prince Edward was an electoral riding in Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1867 at the time of confederation and was abolished in 1933 before the 1934 election.

Members of Provincial Parliament

Prince Edward
Assembly	Years	Member		Party
1st	1867–1870		Absalom Greeley	Liberal
	1870–1871		William Anderson	Conservative
2nd	1871–1871		Gideon Striker	Liberal
	1872–1872		James Simeon McCuaig	Conservative
	1872–1874		Gideon Striker	Liberal
3rd	1875–1879
4th	1879–1883
5th	1883–1886		James Hart
6th	1886–1890		John Allison Sprague
7th	1890–1894
8th	1894–1898		John Caven	Patrons of Industry
9th	1898–1902		William Ryerson Dempsey	Conservative
10th	1902–1904		Morley Currie	Liberal
11th	1905–1908
12th	1908–1911		Robert Addison Norman	Conservative
13th	1911–1914
14th	1914–1919		Nelson Parliament	Liberal
15th	1919–1923
16th	1923–1926		Horace Stanley Colliver	Conservative
17th	1926–1928		William Edgar Raney	United Farmers
	1928–1929		Horace Stanley Colliver	Conservative
18th	1929–1934
Sourced from the Ontario Legislative Assembly
Merged into Prince Edward—Lennox before the 1934 election

Election results

1st Parliament

1867 Ontario general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Absalom Greeley	1,605	58.66
	Conservative	Mr. Solmes	1,131	41.34
Total valid votes			2,736	76.53
Eligible voters			3,575
	Liberal pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario

Ontario provincial by-election, July 1870 Resignation of Absalom Greeley
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Anderson	1,337	54.95	+13.62
	Independent	S. Sprague	1,096	45.05
Total valid votes			2,433	100.0	−11.07
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing		+13.62
Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario

2nd Parliament

1871 Ontario general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Gideon Striker	1,522	52.23
	Conservative	William Anderson	1,392	47.77
Turnout			2,914	78.19
Eligible voters			3,727
Election voided
Source: Elections Ontario

Following the election, Conservative incumbent William Anderson launched a petition under the Controverted Elections Act of 1871 against Liberal Gideon Striker alleging, as reported by court reports, " the usual allegations of bribery, etc." The matter was heard by Chief Justice William Buell Richards on September 27, 1871. Chief Justice Richards determined that the allegation of bribery was not established. Striker's counsel however admitted that his agents hired persons to convey voters to the polls (provide transportation), without the knowledge or involvement of the Striker. Chief Justice Richards nonetheless ruled that corrupt practices had taken place and is sufficient to affect the result of the election, and voided Striker's election.

The seat was declared vacant on December 8th, 1871 when the ruling was recorded in the journal of the Legislative Assembly on December 8th, and a writ of by-election was issued.

Ontario provincial by-election, December 22 and 29, 1971 Previous election voided
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Gideon Striker	1,644	49.76
	Conservative	James Simeon McCuaig	1,660	50.24
Total valid votes			3,304	100.0
Court on petition found that 35 persons in the Township of Hillier not eligible to vote casted ballots for McCuaig, and consequently declared Striker having been elected.
Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario

Anderson opted not to contest the subsequent byelection, and was replaced by James Simeon McCuaig, who bested Striker by a margin of 16 votes. The result of the by-election was also contested under the Controverted Elections Act of 1871, and was heard by Justice Morrison on August 27, 1872. The Court found that the updated 1871 voters' list used at the Township of Hillier was not properly certified, and that only voters on the 1870 voters roll were legally eligible to vote. Upon review of the two versions of list and the poll books, Morrison found that of the 201 votes received by McCuaig in Hillier, 35 were cast by persons who should not have been allowed to vote, resulting in a vote deficit of 19 for McCuaig, and declared Stricker returned by the election accordingly.

McCuaig was formally unseated on January 8, 1873 when the court ruling was recorded in the journal of the Legislative Assembly, and Striker was accordingly sworn in and took his seat for the second time.

Subsequent parliaments

1875 Ontario general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Gideon Striker	1,762	50.91
	Conservative	R. Clapp	1,699	49.09
Total valid votes			3,461	77.90
Eligible voters			4,443
	Liberal hold		Swing
Source: Elections Ontario

1879 Ontario general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Gideon Striker	1,894	50.47	−0.44
	Conservative	R. Clapp	1,859	49.53	+0.44
Total valid votes			3,753	73.78	−4.12
Eligible voters			5,087
	Liberal hold		Swing		−0.44
Source: Elections Ontario