1871 Ontario general election

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1871 Ontario general election
Flag of Ontario.svg
  1867 March 21, 1871 1875  

82 seats in the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario
42 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Edward Blake.jpg John S Macdonald-crop.jpg
Leader Edward Blake John Sandfield Macdonald
Party Liberal Conservative
Leader's seat Bruce South Cornwall
Last election4141
Seats won4338
Seat changeIncrease2.svg2Decrease2.svg3

Premier before election

John Sandfield Macdonald
Conservative

Premier after election

Edward Blake
Liberal

The 1871 Ontario general election was the second general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on March 21, 1871, to elect the 82 Members of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs"). [1]

Contents

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Edward Blake, won a slim majority of the seats, and formed the government.

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by John Sandfield Macdonald, served as the official opposition.

Electoral reforms

Earlier in 1871, the Legislative Assembly passed an Act to give the courts jurisdiction to rule on petitions dealing with corrupt practices in elections. [2]

In 1872, the Parliament of Canada passed an Act to compel MPs who were also members of a provincial legislature to resign such seats if they wished to stand again in a federal election. [3] Five MLAs in the 1871 election were thus obliged to leave the Legislative Assembly in order to stand in federal ridings in 1872.

Results

[4]

Elections to the 2nd Parliament of Ontario (1871)
Political partyParty leaderMLAsVotes
Candidates 1867 1871±#±%± (pp)
Liberal 7641432Increase2.svg68,3669,323Decrease2.svg52.30%3.54Increase2.svg
Conservative 7341383Decrease2.svg59,92620,185Decrease2.svg45.85%4.44Decrease2.svg
Conservative-Liberal111Increase2.svg1,1161,1160.85%New
Independent 91,303220Decrease2.svg1.00%0.04Increase2.svg
Total1598288130,711100.00%
Voter turnout130,71128,612Decrease2.svg62.9310.93Decrease2.svg
Registered electors207,7178,005Decrease2.svg
Acclamations   Liberal 7
  Conservative 8
Other candidates receiving nil votes [a 1]   Independent 2
  1. one in Halton, and another in Peel
Seats and popular vote by party
PartySeatsVotesChange (pp)
  Liberal
43 / 88
52.30%
3.543.54
 
  Conservative
38 / 88
45.85%
-4.44
 
 Other
1 / 88
1.85%
0.900.9
 

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1871 Ontario general election [4]
RidingWinning partyTurnoutVotes
Name [a 1] 1867 PartyVotesShareMargin
#
Margin
%
LibConCLIndTotal
 
Addington ConLib80950.82%261.63%59.31%8097831,592
Algoma ConConacclaimed
Bothwell LibLib1,30455.02%23810.04%72.17%1,3041,0662,370
Brant North LibLib74060.26%25220.52%60.73%7404881,228
Brant South ConCon1,17252.70%1205.40%66.55%1,0521,1722,224
Brockville and Elizabethtown ConCon62050.28%70.57%66.33%6136201,233
Bruce North LibLibacclaimed
Bruce South LibLib2,08255.21%39310.42%79.79%2,082 [a 2] 1,6893,771
Cardwell ConCL1,11663.16%46526.32%67.14%6511,1161,767
Carleton LibCon82250.31%100.61%63.46%8128221,634
Cornwall ConConacclaimed
Dundas LibLib1,21656.09%26412.18%76.28%1,2169522,168
Durham East ConConacclaimed
Durham West LibLibacclaimed [a 2]
Elgin East ConLib1,44253.11%1696.22%63.82%1,4421,2732,715
Elgin West ConLib96955.69%19811.38%76.55%9697711,740
Essex ConLib1,20451.23%41817.79%50.95%1,2047863602,350
Frontenac ConConacclaimed
Glengarry ConCon96252.89%1055.77%72.30%8579621,819
Grenville South ConCon79751.22%382.44%76.42%7597971,556
Grey North ConCon1,33958.42%38616.84%50.22%9531,3392,292
Grey South ConCon1,62559.92%53819.84%61.83%1,0871,6252,712
Haldimand LibLib1,21260.78%43021.56%59.90%1,2127821,994
Halton LibLib1,19455.98%25511.95%57.51%1,1949392,133
Hamilton LibLib1,29454.23%2028.47%60.54%1,2941,0922,386
Hastings East ConCon18688.57%16277.14%10.10%24186210
Hastings North ConCon60486.04%50672.08%41.29%98604702
Hastings West ConConacclaimed
Huron North ConLib2,25955.86%47411.72%68.67%2,2591,7854,044
Huron South LibLib1,56153.55%2077.10%71.64%1,5611,3542,915
Kent LibLib1,38253.55%1837.09%61.15%1,3821,1992,581
Kingston ConCon60750.04%211.73%58.21%586607201,213
Lambton LibLibacclaimed
Lanark North LibLibacclaimed
Lanark South ConCon81642.88%1507.88%66.10%6668164211,903
Leeds North and Grenville North LibCon72361.01%26122.03%52.71%4627231,185
Leeds South ConConacclaimed
Lennox ConCon1,18356.41%26912.83%62.95%2,097 [a 3] 2,097
Lincoln ConConacclaimed
London ConCon98563.84%42727.67%57.06%5589851,543
Middlesex East LibCon1,62251.41%892.82%74.92%1,5331,6223,155
Middlesex North LibLib1,28656.58%29913.15%69.34%1,2869872,273
Middlesex West ConLib1,36258.81%40817.62%77.17%1,3629542,316
Monck ConCon93150.13%50.27%66.35%9269311,857
Niagara ConCon27762.25%10924.49%56.98%168277445
Norfolk North ConLib1,12256.78%26813.56%74.43%1,122854 [a 4] 1,976
Norfolk South LibLib1,00953.30%1256.60%71.73%1,009884 [a 4] 1,893
Northumberland East LibLib69437.70%301.63%53.22%6946644831,841
Northumberland West LibLib1,01350.90%361.81%67.48%1,0139771,990
Ontario North LibLib1,27973.80%83348.07%44.11%1,2794461,733
Ontario South LibLib1,18052.17%984.33%65.81%1,1801,0822,262
Ottawa LibLib57476.33%39652.66%27.68%574178752
Oxford North LibLibacclaimed
Oxford South LibLib1,43057.78%38515.56%65.86%1,4301,0452,475
Peel ConCon1,11851.36%592.71%75.91%1,0591,1182,177
Perth North ConCon1,63057.88%44415.77%68.20%1,1861,6302,816
Perth South LibCon1,30250.60%311.20%71.99%1,2711,3022,573
Peterborough East ConCon77961.68%29923.67%60.55%48077941,263
Peterborough West ConLib64852.13%534.26%69.91%6485951,243
Prescott LibCon85354.26%1348.52%75.61%7198531,572
Prince Edward LibLib1,52252.23%1304.46%78.19%1,5221,392 [a 5] 2,914
Renfrew North ConCon64056.74%15213.48%74.31%4886401,128
Renfrew South LibCon44863.46%19026.91%59.88%258448706
Russell ConCon77351.29%463.05%56.15%72777371,507
Simcoe North LibCon1,35444.39%31310.26%69.41%1,696 [a 6] 1,3543,050
Simcoe South ConConacclaimed
Stormont ConCon70550.18%50.36%74.34%7007051,405
Toronto East ConCon1,23252.56%1205.12%52.26%1,1121,2322,344
Toronto West ConLib1,48753.05%1716.10%51.84%1,4871,3162,803
Victoria North LibCon51854.76%909.51%61.55%428518946
Victoria South LibLib1,04660.05%35020.09%59.97%1,742 [a 7] 1,742
Waterloo North LibLibacclaimed
Waterloo South LibLib1,21560.27%41420.54%69.42%1,2158012,016
Welland LibLib1,18253.12%1396.25%61.08%2,225 [a 8] 2,225
Wellington Centre ConLib1,46564.94%67429.88%58.89%1,4657912,256
Wellington North LibLib1,53163.53%65227.05%59.40%1,5318792,410
Wellington South LibLibacclaimed
Wentworth North LibLib1,07157.24%27114.48%70.95%1,0718001,871
Wentworth South LibLib95766.97%48533.94%56.08%9574721,429
York East LibLib79170.19%45540.37%36.52%7913361,127
York North LibCon1,30650.10%50.19%66.64%1,3011,3062,607
York West ConLib86556.32%19412.63%62.54%8656711,536
  1. order is as given in EO reports
  2. 1 2 Edward Blake was elected in two ridings.
  3. the incumbent John Stevenson received 914 votes
  4. 1 2 James Wilson (incumbent in Norfolk North) campaigned and lost in two ridings
  5. William Anderson had been elected as a Liberal in an 1870 byelection
  6. the incumbent William Lount received 655 votes
  7. the incumbent Thomas Matchett received 696 votes
  8. the incumbent William Beatty received 1,043 votes
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
  = incumbent had switched allegiance
  = previously incumbent in another riding
  = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = other incumbents renominated
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = multiple candidates

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place [4]
Party in 1st placeParty in 2nd placeTotal
AcclLibCon
Liberal 723443
Conservative 829138
Conservative-Liberal11
Total15323582
Candidates ranked 1st to 3rd place, by party [4]
PartiesAccl1st2nd3rd
  Liberal 736321
  Conservative 83035
 Conservative-Liberal1
  Independent 7
Resulting composition of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario [4]
SourceParty
LibConCLTotal
Seats retainedIncumbents returned191635
Returned by acclamation7815
Open seats held33
Ouster of incumbents changing allegiance44
Defeat of incumbent by same-party candidate213
Byelection loss reversed11
Seats changing handsIncumbents defeated8715
Open seats gained3216
Total4338182

MLAs elected by region and riding

Party designations are as follows:

  Liberal
  Conservative
  Conservative-Liberal

    Later resignations on campaigning at the federal level

    ResignationNew incoming MLA
    DistrictOutgoing MLAElected as MPWinner
    1872 federal election
    Bruce South   Edward Blake Green check.svg  Rupert Mearse Wells
    London   John Carling Green check.svg  William Ralph Meredith
    Middlesex West   Alexander Mackenzie Green check.svg [a 1]   John Watterworth
    Monck   Lachlin McCallum Red x.svg  Henry Ryan Haney
    1873 federal byelection (Durham West)
    Brant South   Edmund Burke Wood Green check.svg  Arthur Sturgis Hardy
    1874 federal election
    Wellington North   Robert McKim Red x.svg [a 2]   George Turner Orton
    1. elected in Lambton
    2. campaigned in Wellington Centre

    See also

    Notes and references

    Notes

    1. Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. [5] Monk was returned in the subsequent byelection.
    2. Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. [5] Hamilton was returned in the subsequent byelection.
    3. Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. [5] James Bethune (Liberal) won the subsequent byelection.
    4. Declined the seat in favour of sitting for Bruce South [5] John McLeod (Liberal) won the subsequent byelection.
    5. Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. [5] James Simeon McCuaig (Conservative) won the subsequent byelection.
    6. Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. [5] Ardagh was returned in the subsequent byelection.
    7. Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. [5] Lauder was returned in the subsequent byelection.

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    References

    1. "1871 General Election". Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
    2. The Controverted Elections Act of 1871 , S.O. 1870-71, c. 3
    3. An Act to compel Members of a Local Legislature in any Province where dual representation is not allowed, to resign their Seats before becoming Candidates in any Seats in the Dominion Parliament , S.C. 1872, c. 15
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 "1871 general election results". Elections Ontario . Retrieved November 11, 2023.
    5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1872. pp. 5–15.