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30 seats of the Newfoundland House of Assembly 16 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1869 Newfoundland general election was held on November 13, 1869 to elect members of the 10th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Newfoundland Colony. The Anti-Confederates led by Charles Fox Bennett formed the government.
The election was dominated by the issue of Newfoundland's potential union with the new Dominion of Canada. The incumbent Conservative coalition administration, led by Frederick Carter, supported Confederation. Terms of union were drafted by local confederates and they were passed after much debate within the Newfoundland House of Assembly. When the terms were ratified by the Canadian Parliament, Carter thought it best to put the decisive issue to a vote through a general election. Those opposed to Newfoundland's union with Canada coalesced under Bennett, a St. John's merchant who argued that Confederation would bring about increased taxation.
The Anti-Confederate campaign was vigorous and hard-fought. Bennett conducted a colony-wide tour across many outport communities, alleging that Newfoundlanders would be drafted into the Canadian Army if they voted for the incumbent government. By contrast, the Conservative opposition was unprepared to deal with the campaign, countering that Bennett was primarily concerned in protecting his personal interests rather than the well-being of the public. With the decisive Anti-Confederate victory, the Conservatives thereafter abandoned the issue of Confederation, and the debate was settled for the moment.
Party | Leader | 1865 | Candidates | Seats won | Seat change | % of seats (% change) | Popular vote [d] | % of vote (% change) | |
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Anti-Confederation | Charles Fox Bennett | 8 [f] | 28 | 21 [c] | ![]() | 70.00% ( ![]() | 11,289 | 80.77% ( ![]() | |
Conservative (Confederation) | Frederick Carter | 22 | 20 | 9 | ![]() | 30.00% ( ![]() | 2,688 | 19.23% ( ![]() | |
Totals | 30 | 48 | 30 | ![]() | 100% | 13,977 [g] | 100% | ||
Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Confederation | Conservative (historical) | |||||
St. John's East | William Walsh 1,327 30.42% | W. T. Parsons 412 9.45% | John Kavanagh† | |||
James Jordan 1,325 30.38% | John Kent† | |||||
Robert Parsons Sr. 1,298 29.76% | Robert Parsons Sr. | |||||
St. John's West | Peter Brennan Won by acclamation | Peter Brennan | ||||
Thomas Talbot Won by acclamation | Thomas Talbot | |||||
Henry Renouf [h] Won by acclamation | Henry Renouf |
Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Confederation | Conservative (historical) | |||||
Bay de Verde | Robert Reader At least 29 votes [1] | John Bemister Majority of 400 votes [2] | John Bemister | |||
Carbonear [i] | Francis Taylor | John Rorke | John Rorke | |||
Harbour Grace [i] | James Prendergast | John Munn | Vacant [j] | |||
Robert Dawe [3] | William Green | William Green | ||||
Harbour Main | Joseph Little Won by acclamation | Vacant [k] | ||||
John Kennedy Won by acclamation | Charles Furey† | |||||
Port de Grave | James Woods 733 87.89% | Robert Pinsent 101 12.11% | Robert Pinsent |
Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Confederation | Conservative (historical) | |||||
Ferryland | Thomas Glen Won by acclamation | Thomas Glen | ||||
Thomas Battcock Won by acclamation | Michael Kearney† | |||||
Placentia and St. Mary's | Charles Fox Bennett 882 30.34% | Thomas O'Reilly 103 3.54% | Ambrose Shea | |||
Henry Renouf 872 30.00% | Ambrose Shea 100 3.44% | Pierce Barron | ||||
Robert Parsons Jr. 860 29.58% | Pierce Barron 90 3.10% | Thomas O'Reilly |
Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Confederation | Conservative (historical) | |||||
Bonavista Bay | James Noonan 697 19.39% | John Warren 539 14.99% | John Warren | |||
Francis Winton 657 18.28% | John Burton 537 14.94% | John Burton | ||||
William Barnes 650 18.08% | Michael Carroll 515 14.33% | John Oakley† | ||||
Trinity Bay [i] | Robert Alsop | Stephen Rendell | Stephen Rendell | |||
Stephen March | Thomas H. Ridley | Robert Alsop | ||||
Ellis Watson | Frederick Wyatt† | |||||
Twillingate and Fogo | Smith McKay 1,063 44.68% | William Whiteway 208 8.74% | William Whiteway | |||
Charles Duder 1,025 43.09% | Thomas Knight 83 3.49% | Thomas Knight |
Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anti-Confederation | Conservative (historical) | |||||
Burgeo and LaPoile | Prescott Emerson Won by acclamation | D. W. Prowse† | ||||
Burin [l] | Henry LeMessurier [4] | Frederick Carter Majority of 2 or 3 votes | Frederick Carter | |||
John Woods [4] | Edward Evans Majority of 2 or 3 votes | Edward Evans | ||||
Fortune Bay | Thomas Bennett Won by acclamation | Thomas Bennett |