New Zealand general election, 1896

1896 general election

1893 ← 4 (general) & 19 December (Māori) 1896 → 1899

All 74 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives 38 seats were needed for a majority Turnout 76.1%   First party Second party   Leader Richard Seddon No Leader Party Liberal Independent Leader since 1893 Leader's seat Westland Last election 51 seats 23 seats Seats won 39 35 Seat change 12 12 Popular vote N/A N/A Percentage N/A N/A Swing N/A N/A

Prime Minister before election Richard Seddon Liberal Prime Minister-designate Richard Seddon Liberal

The New Zealand general election of 1896 was held on Wednesday, 4 December in the general electorates, and on Thursday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 13th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 337,024 (76.1%) voters turned out to vote.^[1]

1896 was the year the limit of £200 was placed on each candidate's campaign spending.

Results

The following table lists the results of the general election:^[2]

Electorate	Incumbent	Winner	Second Place
Ashburton	John McLachlan	Edward G Wright	John McLachlan
Ashley	Richard Meredith	Richard Meredith	Henry Fear Reece
Avon	William Tanner	William Tanner	G McIntyre
Awarua	Joseph Ward	Joseph Ward	C Cowan
Bay of Islands	Robert Houston	Robert Houston	John Press
Bay of Plenty	William Kelly	William Herries	William Kelly
Bruce	James Allen	James Allen	W Auld
Buller	Roderick McKenzie	Patrick O'Regan	James Colvin
Caversham	Arthur Morrison	Arthur Morrison	Thomas Sidey
City of Auckland (3 members)	Thomas Thompson	Thomas Thompson	N/A
	Charles Button	James Holland	N/A
	William Crowther	William Crowther	N/A
City of Christchurch (3 members)	Charles Lewis	Charles Lewis	N/A
	George Smith	George Smith	N/A
	William Whitehouse Collins	Tommy Taylor	N/A
City of Dunedin (3 members)	William Earnshaw	Henry Fish	N/A
	William Hutchison	John A. Millar	N/A
	David Pinkerton	Mackay John Scobie McKenzie	N/A
City of Nelson	John Graham	John Graham	Jesse Piper
City of Wellington (3 members)	Francis Bell	John Hutcheson	N/A
	Robert Stout	Robert Stout	N/A
	John Duthie	George Fisher	N/A
Clutha	Thomas Mackenzie	James Thomson	John Edie
Eastern Maori	Wi Pere	Wi Pere	Tamati Tautuhi
Eden	Edwin Mitchelson	John Bollard	Jackson Palmer
Egmont	Felix McGuire	Walter Symes	W Monkhouse
Ellesmere	William Hugh Montgomery	William Hugh Montgomery	F A Anson
Franklin	Benjamin Harris	William Massey	Benjamin Harris
Geraldine	New Electorate	Frederick Flatman	Arthur Rhodes
Grey	Arthur Guinness	Arthur Guinness	R F Bell
Hawera	New Electorate	Felix McGuire	B C Robbins
Hawke's Bay	William Russell	William Russell	A L D Fraser
Invercargill	James Whyte Kelly	James Whyte Kelly	J Sinclair
Kaiapoi	David Buddo	Richard Moore	David Buddo
Lyttelton	John Joyce	John Joyce	W Jacques
Manawatu	New Electorate	John Stevens	R C Bruce
Manukau	George O'Rorke	George O'Rorke	W F Buckland
Marsden	Robert Thompson	Robert Thompson	A H Mason
Masterton	Alexander Wilson Hogg	Alexander Wilson Hogg	D J Duncan
Mataura	Robert McNab	George Richardson	Robert McNab
Motueka	New Electorate	Roderick McKenzie	Richmond Hursthouse
Napier	Samuel Carnell	Robert D D McLean	Samuel Carnell
Northern Maori	Hone Heke	Hone Heke	Eparaima Te Mutu Kapa
Oamaru	Thomas Duncan	Thomas Duncan	J D Sievwright
Ohinemuri	New Electorate	Alfred Cadman	E Edwards
Otaki	James Glenny Wilson	Henry Augustus Field	Alfred Newman
Pahiatua	New Electorate	John O'Meara	R Manisty
Palmerston	Frederick Pirani	Frederick Pirani	D Buick
Parnell	Frank Lawry	Frank Lawry	S Vaile
Patea	George Hutchison	George Hutchison	Arthur Remington
Rangitikei	John Stevens	Frank Yates Lethbridge	W A L Bailey
Riccarton	George Russell	William Rolleston	George Russell
Selwyn	Alfred Saunders	Cathcart Wason	Alfred Saunders
Southern Maori	Tame Parata	Tame Parata	Tame Rangiwahia Erihana
Suburbs of Wellington	Alfred Newman	Thomas Mason Wilford	Thomas William Hislop
Taieri	Walter Carncross	Walter Carncross	J Graham
Taranaki	New Electorate	Henry Brown	Edward Metcalf Smith
Thames	James McGowan	James McGowan	E H Taylor
Timaru	William Hall-Jones	William Hall-Jones	F H Smith
Tuapeka	William Larnach	William Larnach	C C Rawlins
Waiapu	James Carroll	James Carroll	C A Fitzroy
Waihemo	John McKenzie	John McKenzie	John Duncan
Waikato	Alfred Cadman	Frederic William Lang	E Walker
Waikouaiti	James Green	Edmund Allen	J J Ramsay
Waipawa	Charles Hall	George Hunter	Charles Hall
Wairarapa	Walter Clarke Buchanan	Walter Clarke Buchanan	John Hornsby
Wairau	Thomas Buick	Charles Mills	Thomas Buick
Waitaki	William Steward	William Steward	D Sutherland
Waitemata	William Massey	Richard Monk	W H H Jackman
Wakatipu	William Fraser	William Fraser	J George
Wallace	James Mackintosh	Michael Gilfedder	T Neave
Wanganui	Archibald Willis	Gilbert Carson	Archibald Willis
Western Maori	Ropata te Ao	Henare Kaihau	Ropata te Ao
Westland	Richard Seddon	Richard Seddon	J Grimmond

The election of Thomas Wilford for the electorate of Suburbs of Wellington was declared void by an election petition on the grounds of corrupt and illegal practices. Charles Wilson was elected MP for that electorate following a by-election on 23 April 1897.

Summary of Changes

• A boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of seven seats:
  • Chalmers, held by John Andrew Millar
  • Inangahua, held by Patrick O'Regan
  • New Plymouth, held by Edward Metcalf Smith
  • Pareora, held by Frederick Flatman
  • Rangitata, held by William Maslin
  • Waimea-Sounds, held by Charles Mills
  • Waipa, held by Frederic Lang
• At the same time, seven new seats came into being:
  • Geraldine
  • Hawera
  • Manawatu
  • Motueka
  • Ohinemuri
  • Pahiatua
  • Taranaki

References

1. ^ "General elections 1853-2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. http://www.elections.org.nz/elections/resultsdata/elections-dates-turnout.html. Retrieved 11 January 2011. 
2. ^ "The Elections". Christchurch: The Star. Issue 5739, 5 December 1896. pp. 6. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=TS18961205.1.6. Retrieved 14 April 2010.