1888 North-West Territories general election

1888 North-West Territories general election

← 1885 20–30 June 1888 1891 →

22 seats in the North-West Legislative Assembly

Chairman after election

Robert Brett

The 1888 North-West Territories general election elected members of the 2nd Legislative Council of the North-West Territories. The 2nd Legislative Council of the North-West Territories replaced the 1st Council of the North-West Territories. The 2nd Legislative Council of the North-West Territories was replaced by the 1st North-West Assembly in 1891 when the quota of elected members was reached. (A different 2nd Council of the Northwest Territories (1905-1951) was created in 1905, when the NWT lost most of its population, to differentiate the new one from the two legislative councils of the NWT that had existed 1876 to 1891.)

The 1888 election was the first general election in the history of the North-West Territories, Canada. Elections were held in various districts between 20 June and 30 June 1888. Although considered a general election, the writs were issued to return on various days. (1891 North-West Territories general election would be the first election where all the seats came empty on the same day.)

Prior to 1888, the elected members of the 1st Council of the North-West Territories were elected in by-elections to supplement members appointed by the Government of Canada. In order to have an elected member, a constituency needed to be set up in an area 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) in size that had 1,000 residents. This created a patchwork of represented and unrepresented areas across the sprawling and sparsely-settled territory.

Twenty-one members were elected in this election.

Robert Brett, the member for Red Deer, was appointed government leader by Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal. His official title was Chairman of the Lieutenant Governor's Advisory Council.[1]

Three judges were appointed to the legislative assembly to provide legal advice, but they were not able to vote. They represented the territory at large.

Voters in this election cast their votes by telling the returning officer who they wanted to vote for. This system lasted until 1894 when a secret ballot was first used in a by-election in the Whitewood district.

Election results

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Voter turnout cannot be established as no voters lists were in use. Candidates were all elected on non-partisan basis. Decisions in the Council were decided by majority vote.

Three members were elected by acclamation. One was re-elected; two were newly-elected.

Calgary and Edmonton elected two members through Plurality block voting.

Election summary

Candidates # of candidates Popular vote
Incumbent New # %
Acclaimed candidates 1 2 - -
Elected candidates 8 10 5,081 62.53%
Defeated candidates - 19 3,045 37.47%
Total 40 8,126 100%
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Three members were appointed by Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal after the election: James Macleod, Hugh Richardson and Charles Rouleau. The purpose of these three legal advisors was to bring experience in procedure, protocol and amending and introducing legislation. The legal advisors held seats at large, were allowed to participate in debates (but not vote) and were paid a salary of $250.[2]

The three members of the assembly had already served as members of the Assembly previously. There were no legal advisors reappointed after dissolution of the 1st North-West Legislative Assembly in 1891.

Members of the Legislative Assembly elected

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Results of Calgary and Red Deer, as published in the Calgary Tribune

For complete electoral history, see individual districts

Electoral District Elected Second Third Fourth Incumbent
Batoche Hilliard Mitchell
82
55.78%
James Fisher
65
44.22%
New District
Battleford James Clinkskill
180
53.57%
David Livingstone Clink
156
46.43%
New District
Calgary[a] John Lineham
809
43.80%

Hugh Cayley
634
34.33%

James Reilly
404
21.87%
John D. Lauder and
Hugh Cayley
Edmonton[a] Herbert Charles Wilson
395
32.54%

Frank Oliver
350
28.83%

Samuel Cunningham
319
26.28%
Daniel Maloney
150
12.36%
Herbert Charles Wilson
Kinistino James Hoey
104
53.89%
John C. Slater
89
46.11%
New District
Macleod Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Acclamation
Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Medicine Hat Thomas Tweed
Acclamation
New District
Moose Jaw James Hamilton Ross
161
55.52%
George Malcolm Annable
129
44.48%
James Hamilton Ross
Moosomin John Ryerson Neff
Acclamation
Spencer Bedford
North Qu’Appelle William Sutherland
268
71.85%
William Albert Clark
105
28.15%
New District from Qu'Appelle
William Sutherland
North Regina David Jelly
227
62.71%
George W. Brown
135
37.29%
New District from Regina
David Jelly
Prince Albert[a] William Plaxton
383
37.85%

John Felton Betts
322
31.82%

Owen Hughes
307
30.34%
New District
Red Deer Robert Brett
325
60.98%
Alfred Brealey
208
39.02%
New District
Souris John Gillanders Turriff
236
64.84%
John Wesley Connell
92
25.27%
Fraser
36
9.89%
New District from Moose Mountain
John Gillanders Turriff
South Qu’Appelle George Davidson
262
57.33%
William Robert Bell
195
42.67%
New District from Qu'Appelle
Robert Crawford
South Regina John Secord
131
52.19%
David Lynch Scott
120
47.81%
New District from Regina
John Secord
Wallace Joel Reaman
188
72.31%
William Eakin
72
27.69%
New District
Whitewood Alexander Thorburn
166
38.88%
Thomas Gamble Lyons
158
37.00%
John Hawkes
103
24.12%
New District
Wolseley Benjamin Parkyn Richardson
209
50.73%
James Dill
203
49.27%
New District

Medicine Hat

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In the Medicine Hat electoral district, candidate William Finlay had withdrawn before election day. The returning officer declared Thomas Tweed elected by acclamation. Finlay lost his nomination deposit of $200.00[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Two representatives were elected from the district.

Plurality block voting was used -- each voter had two votes

References

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  1. ^ Thomas 1978, p. 173.
  2. ^ Gemmell, John Alexander (1889). The Canadian parliamentary companion, 1889. J. Durie & Son. p. 389. ISBN 9780665329609. OL 15357429W.
  3. ^ Northwest Elections. Lethbridge Herald. 5 July 1888. p. 1.

Further reading

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