1856 Toronto municipal election

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1856 Toronto municipal election
  1855 January 7, 1856 (1856-01-07) 1857  
  John Beverley Robinson.png John Hutchison.png
Candidate John Beverley Robinson John Hutchison
Electoral vote1511

The 1856 City of Toronto Municipal Election was the city's 22nd municipal election. Polling occurred on the first Monday and Tuesday of the year, January 7 and 8. Elections for Aldermen and Councilmen were held in seven wards and for the Municipal License Inspector.

Contents

After the election, John Beverley Robinson a member of the family compact and strong supporter of the railroads, was elected Mayor by City Council, beating John Hutchison a Toronto merchant, who had a reputation for opposing corruption.

Background

By the standards of 1850s civic politics, where riots disrupted voting in 1855 and 1857, the election of the Council for 1856 was quiet. [1] The issues that animated the campaign included awarding a major public works contract to complete The Esplanade, the controversy around establishing Separate Schools for Roman Catholics, and taverns licenses. [2]

The Esplanade Contract

In 1853, the City of Toronto passed the Esplanade Act to fill in land along the city's waterfront to provide a route for railways to cross the city and a public promenade along the waterfront. The contract was awarded to Gzowski and Company to construct the Esplanade, but multiple issues created a scandal, and in April 1855, City Council voted to annul the contract. However, the decision to cancel the contract led the Grand Trunk Railway, depending on the waterfront route, to threaten to place its track along Queen Street. This led to numerous public meetings and tremendous public pressure to finish the Esplanade. [3]

City Council negotiated with the Grand Trunk Railway during the election campaign to construct the Esplanade. A primary concern was who was obligated to pay for crossings over the rail corridor, the city, or the railway. [4] A special meeting was called on January 13, 1856, after the election but before the new City Council was sworn in to approve the contract, with the modification that the city was responsible for paying for and building any ramps or bridges over the railway tracks, instead of the Grand Trunk Railway. Despite the previous controversies, the outgoing City Council approved the contract unanimously. [5]

Election of the Mayor

After the municipal election, City Council convened on January 21, 1856, to elect a Mayor. The proceedings were well-attended, with the gallery filled with spectators eager to witness a contest between John Beverley Robinson, who represented the Family Compact and John Hutchison, supported by the city's burgeoning mercantile community. [6]

Alderman Dunn nominated Robinson for the position of Mayor, with the motion seconded by Councilman Davis. Alderman Dunn argued in favor of Robinson. He was the most qualified candidate and the only St. Patrick's Ward nominee not represented in the mayoral office for some time. Alderman Crooks nominated John Hutchison for Mayor, challenging Robinson's competency and criticizing him for not taking an interest in Council business when he was Alderman in 1854 and for not running for Council in 1855. Crooks also accused Robinson of arranging Councilman Moodie's absence from Council for the vote. [7]

In an attempt to influence the mayoral election, Councilman Moodie, an employee of the Grand Trunk Railway and a vocal supporter of Hutchison, was dispatched by his employer to Montreal three days before the election of the Mayor by City Council, despite his objections. [8] Notwithstanding the controversy, Robinson was elected Mayor by a majority of 4, with the motion carried 15 to 11. [7]

City Council Results

Each ward elected 2 Aldermen and 2 Councilmen. There were ten open seats in the 1856 election, and 15 members of the City Council stood for re-election. Two incumbents lost, Angus Morrison (elected to the Provincial assembly in the summer of 1854) and William Graham. [9]

St. James' Ward
PositionCandidateVotes %±Vote for Mayor
AldermenJohn HarringtonGreen check.svg Elected42740.9%N/ARobinson
John Hutchison Green check.svg Elected34633.1%N/AHutchison
HewittDark Red x.svg Lost27226.0%N/A
N/A
CouncilmenJohn Wilson(X)Green check.svg Elected31732.4%+2.3%Robinson
John CameronGreen check.svg Elected24425.0%N/AHutchison
ThompsonDark Red x.svg Lost17417.8%N/A
N/A
MitchellDark Red x.svg Lost15816.2%N/A
N/A
A.H. St. GermainDark Red x.svg Lost848.6%N/A
N/A
St. Andrew's Ward
PositionCandidateVotes %±Vote for Mayor
AldermenJohn WorthingtonGreen check.svg Elected27941.9%N/ARobinson
R.P. Crooks (X)Green check.svg Elected20530.8%-4.9%Hutchison
RitcheyDark Red x.svg Lost18227.3%N/A
N/A
CouncilmenHenry Prettie (X)Green check.svg Elected27642.9%+15.2%Robinson
Henry SproatGreen check.svg Elected22935.6%N/ARobinson
Charles FisherDark Red x.svg Lost13821.5%+3.7%
N/A
St. John's Ward
PositionCandidateVotes %±Vote for Mayor
AldermenJohn Bugg (X)Green check.svg Elected34752.1%+16.3%Hutchison
Richard DempseyGreen check.svg Elected31947.9%+15.8%Robinson
CouncilmenRobert MoodieGreen check.svg Elected33646.8%+12.6%
Absent
Joseph Rowell (X)Green check.svg Elected24133.6%+3.6%Hutchison
CarnegieDark Red x.svg Lost14119.6%N/A
N/A
St. David's Ward
PositionCandidateVotes %±Vote for Mayor
AldermenWilliam Henderson (X)Green check.svg Elected34037.0%-3.2%Hutchison
John George Bowes Green check.svg Elected31834.6%N/ARobinson
BrookeDark Red x.svg Lost26128.4%N/A
N/A
CouncilmenAdam Beatty (X)Green check.svg Elected32832.8%-10.1%Robinson
John Carruthers (X)Green check.svg Elected23523.5%-13.8%Hutchison
James MallonDark Red x.svg Lost22122.1%N/A
N/A
William RamseyDark Red x.svg Lost21521.5%N/A
N/A
St. Lawrence Ward
PositionCandidateVotes %±Vote for Mayor
Aldermen Alexander Manning Green check.svg Elected20439.1%+12.0%Hutchison
William StrachanGreen check.svg Elected18034.5%N/AHutchison
D.K. FeehanDark Red x.svg Lost13826.4%N/A
N/A
CouncilmenWilliam DavisGreen check.svg Elected19936.2%N/ARobinson
William Murphy (X)Green check.svg Elected17632.0%-5.7%Robinson
ErnestDark Red x.svg Lost17531.9%N/A
N/A
St. George's Ward
PositionCandidateVotes %±Vote for Mayor
AldermenJohn Duggan (X)Green check.svg Elected17242.1%-5.5%Hutchison
G.A. Philpotts(X)Green check.svg Elected12229.8%-5.9%Robinson
BrunelDark Red x.svg Lost11528.1%N/A
N/A
CouncilmenGeo. NeetingGreen check.svg Elected12735.4%N/AHutchison
Edward Wright (X)Green check.svg Elected13136.5%+5%
Absent
James MyersDark Red x.svg Lost10128.1%+4.4%
N/A
St. Patrick's Ward
PositionCandidateVotes %±Vote for Mayor
Aldermen John Beverley Robinson Green check.svg Elected27947.3%Candidate
Johnathan Dunn (X)Green check.svg Elected17129.0%-21.7%Robinson
Adam Wilson (X)Dark Red x.svg Lost14023.7%-25.6%
N/A
CouncilmenT. ShortisGreen check.svg Elected23140.4%N/ARobinson
Theophilus Earls (X)Green check.svg Elected20636.0%-6.9%Robinson
ReevesDark Red x.svg Lost13523.6%N/A
N/A

References

  1. Russell, Victor Loring, ed. (1984). Forging a consensus : historical essays on Toronto. Victor Loring Russell, Toronto. Sesquicentennial Board. Toronto: Published for the Toronto Sesquicentennial Board by University of Toronto Press. p. 100. ISBN   978-1-4875-8021-6. OCLC   988215315.
  2. "Mr St. Germain's Address: To the Electors of St. James' Ward". The Globe (1844-1936). December 28, 1855. p. 3.
  3. Goheen, Peter G. (2000). "The Struggle for Urban Public Space: Disposing of the Toronto Waterfront in the Nineteenth Century". In Murphy, Alexander B.; Johnson, Douglas L.; Haarman, Viola (eds.). Cultural Encounters with the Environment : Enduring and Evolving Geographic Themes. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. pp. 60–66. ISBN   0-7425-0105-1.
  4. "The Grand Trunk Railway Entering the City". The Globe (1844-1936). November 21, 1855. p. 1108.
  5. "Special Meeting of City Council: Settlement of the Esplanade Difficulty". The Globe (1844-1936). January 14, 1856. p. 2.
  6. "The Mayoralty". The Globe. January 16, 1856. p. 2.
  7. 1 2 "City Council Proceedings - Election of Mayor". The Globe. January 22, 1856. p. 2.
  8. "The Mayoralty: Infamous Conduct of the Grand Trunk Company". The Globe. January 19, 1856. p. 2.
  9. "The City Election". The Globe (1844-1936). January 7, 1856. p. 2.