Bahamian general election, 1833

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General elections were held in the Bahamas in December 1833. They were the first elections in which non-white residents were able to vote, and three non-white candidates were elected to the General Assembly; Stephen Dillet, Thomas Minns and John Deane. [1]

The Bahamas country in North America

The Bahamas, known officially as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a country within the Lucayan Archipelago. The archipelagic state consists of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, and is located north of Cuba and Hispaniola, northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the U.S. state of Florida, and east of the Florida Keys. The capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. The designation of "the Bahamas" can refer either to the country or to the larger island chain that it shares with the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force describes the Bahamas territory as encompassing 470,000 km2 (180,000 sq mi) of ocean space.

Contents

Background

General elections had previously been held in 1832. [2] However, following a series of confrontations between the General Assembly and Governor Blayney Townley Balfour in 1833 over control of public buildings and the appointment of civil servants, Balfour dissolved the Assembly on 4 December 1833 after the Assembly voted by 21–2 to approve a resolution to withhold funding until the Governor accepted that the Assembly had control. [3] Balfour ordered that elections be held within a fortnight, with the vote in Nassau set for 17 December. [3]

Nassau, Bahamas Place in New Providence, Bahamas

Nassau is the capital and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has an estimated population of 274,400 as of 2016, just over 70% of the population of the country (≈391,000). Lynden Pindling International Airport, the major airport for the Bahamas, is located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of Nassau city centre, and has daily flights to major cities in Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States. The city is located on the island of New Providence, which functions much like a business district. Nassau is the site of the House of Assembly and various judicial departments and was considered historically to be a stronghold of pirates. The city was named in honour of William III of England, Prince of Orange-Nassau, deriving its name from Nassau, Germany.

Electoral system

The elections were the first to be held under the 1833 Act to Relieve His Majesty's Free Coloured and Black Subjects of the Bahamas Islands From All Civil Disability, which gave free non-white men over 21 the right to vote and stand in general elections in the territory, though slaves were still excluded. [4] Although property qualifications still severely restricted the franchise, with only around 4% of the population eligible to vote, [4] several non-white candidates ran in the elections. [3] The 25 members of the Assembly were elected in 13 constituencies ranging in size from one to four seats. [2]

Results

ConstituencyDate of electionCandidateVotes%Notes
Andros Robert DuncomeElected
John PinderElected
Caicos John McIntoshElected
Crooked Island John MeadowsElected
Eastern District21 DecemberGeorge AndersonElected
Conrad DuncomeElected
Eleuthera William JohnsonElected
Robert MillarElected
William KnowlesElected
Exuma William FarringtonElected
Henry ArmbristerElected
John MeadowsElected
Harbour Island Henry GreensladeElected
William Vesey Munnings JrElected
Hugh KerrElected
Long Island Henry AdderleyElected
Nassau17 DecemberGeorge Wood7725.5Elected
Stephen Dillet6722.2Elected
John Storr5518.2Elected
Robert Butler5518.2Elected
Thomas Saunders258.3
Thomas Forster227.3
Neil M'Queen10.3
San Salvador William Vesey Munnings SrElected
Turks Island Henshall StubbsElected
Watlings Island & Rum Key Charles NesbittElected
Western District21 DecemberThomas Minns4650.0Elected
John Deane4650.0Elected
Source: Hart

Aftermath

Henry Adderley, the elected member for Long Island, claimed that he had been elected "contrary to his wish and consent", and asked to be excused from the Assembly. [2] The Assembly was opened on 17 January 1834. [5]

Long Island, Bahamas in Long Island, Bahamas

Long Island is an island in the Bahamas that is split by the Tropic of Cancer. It is one of the Districts of the Bahamas and is known as the most scenic island in the Bahamas. Its capital is Clarence Town. The population of Long Island is 3,094 inhabitants.

In July 1834, several by-elections were held to elect additional members; George Anderson and Thomas Cartwright were elected from Exuma, George Adderly and Benjamin Sims Jr were elected from Long Island, James Malcolm was elected from Harbour Island, and George Camplejohn and Samuel Clutsam were elected from Eleuthera. [2]

Exuma Place in Bahamas

Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands, also called cays.

Harbour Island, Bahamas Place in Bahamas

Harbour Island is an island and administrative district in the Bahamas and is located off the northeast coast of Eleuthera Island. It has a population of 1,762.

Eleuthera island in the Bahamas

Eleuthera refers both to a single island in the archipelagic state of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas and to its associated group of smaller islands. Eleuthera forms a part of the Great Bahama Bank. The island of Eleuthera incorporates the smaller Harbour Island. "Eleuthera" derives from the feminine Greek adjective ἐλεύθερος (eleutheros), meaning "free". Known in the 17th century as Cigateo, it lies 80 km east of Nassau. It is long and thin—180 km long and in places little more than 1.6 km wide. Its eastern side faces the Atlantic Ocean, and its western side faces the Great Bahama Bank. The topography of the island varies from wide rolling pink sand beaches to large outcrops of ancient coral reefs, and its population is approximately 11,000. The principal economy of the island is tourism.

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References

  1. Dwight C. Hart (2004) The Bahmian Parliament, 1729-2004: Commemorating the 275th anniversary, Jones Publications, p4
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hart, p39
  3. 1 2 3 Hart, pp60–61
  4. 1 2 Hart, pp59–60
  5. Hart, p62