Oamaru by-election, 1885

20 May 1885 (1885-05-20)


Turnout	817 (57.09%)

Candidate	Thomas William Hislop	Lord Reidhaven
Party	Independent	Independent
Popular vote	439	378
Percentage	53.73%	46.27%

MP before election

Samuel Shrimski
Independent

Elected MP

Thomas William Hislop
Independent

The Oamaru by-election 1885 was a by-election held in the Oamaru electorate during the 9th New Zealand Parliament, on 20 May 1885. The by-election was caused by the resignation of the incumbent, Samuel Shrimski, who was appointed to the Legislative Council, and was won by Thomas William Hislop.

Background

For the 1876 election, Waitaki became a two-member electorate.^[1] Four candidates put their names forward. Steward and Joseph O'Meagher contested the election as abolitionists (i.e. they were in favour of abolishing the provincial government), while Thomas William Hislop and Shrimski were provincialists (i.e. they favoured the retention of provincial government).^[2] The provincialists won the election by quite some margin, and both became members of parliament for the first time.^[3] Hislop and Shrimski were both confirmed in the 1879 election,^[4] but Hislop resigned on 28 April 1880 "for private reasons".^[5]^[6] From 1881 onwards, Waitaki became a single-member constituency again, and Shrimski won the re-constituted Oamaru electorate.^[7]

In the 1884 general election, Shrimski was challenged by Viscount Reidhaven (who later became the Earl of Seafield when he succeeded his father).^[8]^[9] Shrimski resigned on 28 March 1885 and was appointed to the Legislative Council on 15 May 1885.^[10] Shrimski was one of an unprecedented nine appointments made by the Stout–Vogel Ministry in 1885, which inflated the council's membership to 54.^[11] Three other appointments also caused by-elections in the Tauranga, Waimea, and Southern Maori electorates.^[12]

The election

Shrimski's resignation became public knowledge on 28 March 1885.^[13] Hislop was first discussed by The Oamaru Mail as a likely candidate three days later, but he declared that he would only become a candidate if the electors so wished.^[14] Reidhaven first advertised his candidacy on 6 April.^[15] William Hutchison's possible candidacy was discussed in the media, but nothing came of it.^[16]

A large meeting was held on Friday evening of 10 April for "liberal electors only" to choose a representative for the upcoming by-election.^[16] The candidacies of Hislop, who was in attendance, and Reidhaven, who was otherwise engaged, were discussed. Hislop was eventually proposed by one of the attendees, with three quarters of the electors supporting his nomination, and nobody voting against the motion. Nobody proposed Reidhaven.^[17] The nomination meeting was held on 13 May, where Hislop and Reidhaven were formally put forward as candidates, with Hislop winning the show of hands.^[18] A Timaru evening paper wrote the following endorsement of Hislop just before the election, which The Oamaru Mail quoted in its 16 May edition:^[19]

Mr Hislop is an old and active citizen of Oamaru, of liberal views and progressive energy, one too who has seen a good deal of public life. Above all, Mr Hislop has been the consistent foe of land monopoly. His noble opponent has just been called out of a position of obscurity to the enjoyment of a title. His political views have not yet been enunciated, his fitness for parliamentary honors [sic] has never yet been tested. He is an entirely untried man. A man who has filled representative public positions with credit is the most eligible candidate.

Hislop won the by-election with a majority of 61 votes (7.47%).^[20]

Election results

1884 election

The 1884 general election was contested by two candidates in the Oamaru electorate.

General election, 1884: Oamaru^[9]^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Independent	Samuel Shrimski	483	55.26%	+1.39%
	Independent	Lord Reidhaven	391	44.74%
Majority			92	10.53%
Turnout			874	63.29%	+8.27%
Registered electors			1,381

1885 by-election

Oamaru by-election, 1885^[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Independent	Thomas William Hislop	439	53.73%
	Independent	Lord Reidhaven	378	46.27%	+1.53%
Majority			61	7.47%	-3.06%
Turnout			817	57.09%	-6.19%
Registered electors			1,381

Notes

↑ McRobie 1989, pp. 39–44.
↑ "Latest Telegrams". The Southland Times (2247). 27 December 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
↑ "Waitaki Election. Declaration of the Poll.". North Otago Times. XXIII (1170). 12 January 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 205, 234.
↑ Wilson 1985, p. 205.
↑ The Cyclopedia of New Zealand 1897, p. 83.
↑ Wilson 1985, p. 234.
↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1905). "The Hon. S. E. Shrimski". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Otago & Southland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
1 2 "Declaration of the Poll". The Oamaru Mail. IV (1322). 24 July 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 164, 234.
↑ Jackson 1972, p. 50.
↑ "Untitled". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2864). 30 March 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ "The Oamaru Mail". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2863). 28 March 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ "The Oamaru Mail". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2865). 31 March 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ "Public Notices". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2869). 6 April 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
1 2 "The Oamaru Mail". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2873). 10 April 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ "The Oamaru Mail". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2874). 11 April 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ "The Election". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2901). 13 May 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ "The Election". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2904). 16 May 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
1 2 "The Parliamentary Election". The Oamaru Mail. IX (2908). 21 May 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
↑ "The General Election, 1884". National Library. 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

References

Jackson, William Keith (1972). The New Zealand Legislative Council : a study of the establishment, failure and abolition of an upper house. Dunedin: University of Otago Press.
McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

By-elections in New Zealand in the pre-party era (1853–1890) » (1891–1911) »

1st Parliament	Nelson, 1854 Waimea, 1854 City of Auckland, 1854

2nd Parliament	Motueka and Massacre Bay, 1856 Christchurch Country, 1856 Grey and Bell, 1856 Christchurch, 1856 Hutt, 1856 Auckland, 1858 Pensioner Settlements, 1858 Southern Division, 1858 Grey and Bell, 1858 Waimea, 1858 Wairau, 1858 Town of Lyttelton, 1858 Akaroa, 1858 Dunedin Country, 1858 Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay, 1858 Wellington, 1858 Wellington Country, 1858 Hutt, 1858 Dunedin, 1859

Supplementary elections, 1859	Cheviot Marsden Wairarapa Wallace

2nd Parliament (continued)	Waimea, 1859 Christchurch, 1860 Suburbs of Auckland, 1860 Dunedin Country, 1860 Christchurch Country, 1860 Auckland, 1860 Omata, 1860 County of Hawke, 1860 Northern Division, 1860 Grey and Bell, 1860

3rd Parliament	Grey and Bell, 1861 Suburbs of Nelson, 1861 Napier, 1861 Wanganui, 1861 Dunedin, 1862 New Plymouth, 1862 Ellesmere, 1862 Avon, 1862 Heathcote, 1862 Auckland West, 1862 Bruce, 1862 Hampden, 1862

Supplementary elections, 1863	Dunedin and Suburbs North Gold Fields

3rd Parliament (continued)	Dunedin and Suburbs South, 1863 Hampden, 1863 Kaiapoi, 1863 Dunedin and Suburbs North, 1863 New Plymouth, 1863 Heathcote, 1863 Akaroa, 1863 Franklin, 1864 New Plymouth, 1864 Waimea, 1864 Bruce, 1865 Raglan, 1865 Parnell, 1865 New Plymouth, 1865 Gold Fields, 1865 Rangitiki, 1865 Omata, 1865 Wairarapa, 1865

4th Parliament	Mount Herbert, 1866 Port Chalmers, 1866 Dunedin, 1867 City of Christchurch, 1867 Avon, 1867 Manuherikia, 1867 Wanganui, 1867 New Plymouth, 1867 Auckland West, 1867 Raglan, 1867 Parnell, 1867 Port Chalmers, 1867 Waimea, 1867 Lyttelton, 1867 Kaiapoi, 1867 Picton, 1867 Pensioner Settlements, 1867 Ashley, 1867 Collingwood, 1868 Westland Boroughs, 1868

Supplementary elections, 1868	Westland North Westland South

First Māori elections	Eastern Maori Northern Maori Southern Maori Western Maori

4th Parliament (continued)	Avon, 1868 Picton, 1868 Rangitiki, 1868 Franklin, 1868 Waikouaiti, 1868 Lyttelton, 1868 Timaru, 1868 Nelson, 1868 Marsden, 1869 Roslyn, 1869 Dunedin, 1869 Newton, 1869 Waikouaiti, 1869 New Plymouth, 1869 Wallace, 1869 Oamaru, 1869 Taieri, 1869 Bruce, 1870 Mongonui, 1870 Caversham, 1870 Parnell, 1870 Riverton, 1870 City of Christchurch, 1870

5th Parliament	Auckland West, 1871 Roslyn, 1871 Wairau, 1872 Waikato, 1872 Wakatipu, 1872 Rodney, 1872 Nelson, 1872 Waikouaiti, 1872 Coleridge, 1872 Heathcote, 1872 Caversham, 1872 Egmont 1872 Suburbs of Nelson, 1873 Lyttelton, 1873 Invercargill, 1873 Waikouaiti, 1873 Mongonui and Bay of Islands, 1873 Wakatipu, 1873 Collingwood, 1873 Franklin, 1874 Akaroa, 1874 Dunedin, 1874 Waitemata, 1874 Waitemata,1874 Kaiapoi, 1875 Auckland West, 1875 Rangitikei, 1875 Waikouaiti, 1875 Wairau, 1875 Wallace, 1875 Caversham, 1875

6th Parliament	Auckland West, 1876 Wanganui, 1876 Napier, 1877 Wellington, 1877 Totara, 1877 City of Auckland West, 1877 Wairarapa, 1877 Wellington, 1878 Timaru, 1878 Port Chalmers, 1878 Franklin, 1878 Cheviot, 1878 Grey Valley, 1878 Hokitika, 1878 Dunedin, 1878 Taieri, 1878 Invercargill, 1878 Waipa, 1878 Roslyn, 1878 Gladstone, 1879 Mataura, 1879 Nelson, 1879 Auckland West, 1879 Coleridge, 1879 Hutt, 1879 Eastern Maori, 1879 Southern Maori, 1879 Dunedin, 1879

7th Parliament	Rangitikei, 1880 Waitaki, 1880 Waikaia, 1880 Suburbs of Nelson, 1881 Southern Maori, 1881 Nelson, 1881 Grey Valley, 1881

8th Parliament	Franklin North, 1882 Wakanui, 1882 Stanmore, 1882 Peninsula, 1883 Selwyn, 1883 Inangahua, 1883 Bruce, 1883 Selwyn, 1884 Thorndon, 1884 Kaiapoi, 1884 East Coast, 1884

9th Parliament	Oamaru, 1885 Tauranga, 1885 Waimea, 1885 Southern Maori, 1885 Wakanui, 1885 Bruce, 1885 Sydenham, 1886 Dunedin Central, 1886 Waitemata, 1886 Western Maori, 1886 Heathcote, 1887 Port Chalmers, 1887 Te Aro, 1887 Northern Maori, 1887 Avon, 1887

10th Parliament	Ashley, 1888 Lincoln, 1889 Nelson, 1889 Christchurch North, 1889 Oamaru, 1889 Waipa, 1889 East Coast, 1889 Timaru, 1890

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