1903 Dublin University by-election

The Dublin University by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held from 28 February to 5 March 1903. ^[1] The constituency returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

The seat had become vacant following the resignation of the incumbent Liberal Unionist MP, W. E. H. Lecky due to ill health. ^[2] Lecky vacated his Parliamentary seat by being appointed Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds on 18 February 1903. ^[3] Lecky had been Member of Parliament for the constituency since an 1895 by-election.

Candidates

Janes Henry Mussen Campbell was the Solicitor-General for Ireland, a post he had held since 1901. ^{[4] [5] [6]} He had been made an Irish Queen's Counsel in 1892, and in February 1902 was elected a Bencher of Gray's Inn. ^[7]

He had been elected Irish Unionist MP for the Dublin seat of St. Stephen's Green in an 1898 by-election but lost the seat at the 1900 general election.

Arthur Warren Samuels was a barrister who had been made a Queen's Counsel in 1894. ^[8] He had been called to the Irish Bar in 1877 and the English Bar in 1896. ^[9]

Both candidates were Unionists. ^{[10] [11]}

It was reported that the members of the Irish Bar who had votes supported Campbell over Samuels. ^[12]

Result

1903 Dublin University by-election ^{[13] [14] [15] [16]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	James Campbell	1,492	51.2	N/A
	Irish Unionist	Arthur Samuels	1,421	48.8	N/A
Majority			71	2.4	N/A
Turnout			2,913	64.0	N/A
Registered electors			4,553
	Irish Unionist gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing	N/A

References

1. Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 294.
2. Prothero, George Walter (1912). "Lecky, William Edward Hartpole". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
3. "No. 27526". The London Gazette . 20 February 1903. p. 1129.
4. Dod's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland, for 1908. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd. 1908. p. 232.
5. Lee, Henry (1920). History of the Campbell Family. New York: R. L. Polk and Company, Inc. pp. 132–133.
6. Mohr, Thomas (Autumn 2012). "The Privy Council appeal as a minority safeguard for the Protestant community of the Irish Free State, 1922–1935". Northern Ireland Law Quarterly. 63 (3): 365–395. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
7. "Court circular". The Times. No. 36687. London. 10 February 1902. p. 6.
8. Thom's Irish Who's Who 1923. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co. Ltd. 1923. p. 225.
9. Stenton, Michael; Lees, Stephen (1979). Who's Who of British Members of Parliament. Vol. 3. Brighton: The Harvester Press Limited. p. 316. ISBN   0-85527-325-9.
10. "British and Foreign". The Star. Christchurch, N.Z. 7 March 1903. p. 4. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
11. Vincent, John; Stenton, Michael (1971). "II". McCalmont's Parliamentary Poll Book. British Election Results 1832-1918 (8 ed.). Brighton: The Harvester Press. p. 71. ISBN   0 85527 000 4.
12. "Week To Week". The New Irish Jurist and Local Government Review. 3 (19): 129–136. 20 March 1903. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
13. Walker, Brian Mercer (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. p. 164. ISBN   0-901714-12-7.
14. The Liberal Year Book for 1908. London: The Liberal Publication Department. 1908. pp. 248–249.
15. The Constitutional Year Book for 1919. London: National Unionist Association. 1919. p. 340.
16. The Popular Guide to the House of Commons 1906. London: The Pall Mall Press. 1906. p. 73.