# 1875–1876 New Zealand general election

The 1875–1876 New Zealand general election was held between 20 December 1875 and 29 January 1876 to elect a total of 88 MPs in 73 electorates to the 6th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 4 and 15 January 1876. A total of 56,471 voters were registered.

## Background

Political parties had not been established yet; this only happened after the 1890 election. The previous parliament had 78 representatives from 72 electorates. In October 1875, Parliament passed the Representation Act 1875, and resolved to increase the size of Parliament to 88 representatives through the following changes:
* one additional member for City of Dunedin (from two to three)
* the single member electorates of Christchurch East and Christchurch West to amalgamate and form the City of Christchurch electorate with three members
* one additional member for Timaru (Geraldine was formed as a new electorate)
* one additional member for Waitaki (from one to two)
* one additional member for Grey Valley (from one to two)
* one additional member for Hokitika (from one to two)
* one additional member for Napier (from one to two)
* one additional member for Wanganui (from one to two)
* one additional member for Thames (from one to two)
* a new Waipa electorate (with one member)
With the two new electorates and the amalgamation in Christchurch, the number of electorates thus increased by one to 73. Eleven of the electorates were two-member electorates; two electorates were three-member electorates. To split Timaru into two electorates was proposed by the Timaru incumbent, Edward Stafford. The new electorate for the Waikato, Waipa, was added on the proposal put forward by William Jackson, who retired at the end of the parliamentary term in 1875.
The election was held over six weeks in December 1875 and January 1876. The date of election is defined here as the day on which the poll took place, or if there was no contest, the day of nomination. The first elections were held on 20 December 1875 in the City of Dunedin and City of Nelson electorates, returning a total of five members. In Dunedin, the three positions were contested by eight candidates. In Nelson, 20 December was the nomination day and the two candidates were returned unopposed. In two electorates, elections were held on Christmas Eve, while 19 candidates were elected between Christmas and New Year.
The last election was held in the Wairau electorate on 29 January 1876 between Arthur Seymour and George Henderson. Seymour was successful. Elections in the Maori electorates were held on 4 January Southern Maori and 15 January (all other Maori electorates). A total of 56,471 voters were registered.
George Grey stood in the general election for both the Auckland West and the Thames electorates. In the two-member Auckland electorate, only Grey and Patrick Dignan were put forward as candidates, and were thus declared elected on 22 December 1875. The two-member Thames electorate was contested by six candidates, including Julius Vogel (who was Premier in 1875), William Rowe and Charles Featherstone Mitchell. On election day (6 January 1876), Grey attracted the highest number of votes and, unexpectedly, Rowe beat Vogel into second place (Vogel also stood in Wanganui, where he was returned). Hence Grey and Rowe were declared elected for Thames. A protest against Grey's election was lodged with the returning officer the following day, stating that Grey had not been eligible to stand in Thames as he had already been elected in Auckland West. This petition was filed to the House of Representatives at the end of January.
With this controversy going on for several months unresolved, Grey advised in mid June 1876 in a series of telegrams that he had chosen to represent Auckland West. On 8 July, the report of the committee inquiring into his election for Thames was read to the House. It was found that this was in accordance with the law, but that he had to make a decision for which electorate he would sit. On 15 July 1876, Grey announced that he would represent Thames, and he moved that a by-election be held in Auckland West for the seat that he would vacate there.
The Government received a majority over the opposition in the election, but with political parties not forming until 1890, precise numbers cannot be given. One newspaper counted 48 of the members as Government supporters. On 15 February 1876, the Pollen Ministry led by Daniel Pollen resigned. Julius Vogel, who had been Premier prior to Pollen, formed a new ministry and became Premier again.

## Result

| Member | Electorate | MP's term | Election date |
| William Montgomery | Akaroa | Second | 29 December 1875 |
| John Evans Brown | Ashley | Second | 11 January 1876 |
| William Rees | Auckland East | First | 30 December 1875 |
| George Grey | Auckland West | Second | 23 December 1875 |
| Patrick Dignan | Auckland West | Third | 23 December 1875 |
| William Rolleston | Avon | Third | 22 December 1875 |
| William Murray | Bruce | Second | 23 December 1875 |
| Joseph Henry | Buller | First | 5 January 1876 |
| James Seaton | Caversham | First | 21 December 1875 |
| Leonard Harper | Cheviot | First | 8 January 1876 |
| William Sefton Moorhouse | Christchurch | Fifth | 21 December 1875 |
| Edward Richardson | Christchurch | Second | 21 December 1875 |
| Edward Cephas John Stevens | Christchurch | Second | 21 December 1875 |
| John Davies Ormond | Clive | Fourth | 7 January 1876 |
| James William Thomson | Clutha | Second | 20 January 1876 |
| Cathcart Wason | Coleridge | First | 6 January 1876 |
| William Gibbs | Collingwood | Second | 29 December 1875 |
| James Macandrew | City of Dunedin | Sixth | 20 December 1875 |
| William Larnach | City of Dunedin | First | 20 December 1875 |
| Robert Stout | City of Dunedin | Second | 20 December 1875 |
| Vincent Pyke | Dunstan | Second | 27 December 1875 |
| George Read | East Coast | First | 6 January 1876 |
| Joseph Tole | Eden | First | 6 January 1876 |
| Harry Atkinson | Egmont | Fourth | 3 January 1876 |
| Hugh Lusk | Franklin | First | 18 January 1876 |
| Ebenezer Hamlin | Franklin | First | 18 January 1876 |
| Edward Wakefield | Geraldine | First | 27 December 1875 |
| Frederick Teschemaker | Gladstone | First | 20 January 1876 |
| Frederic Carrington | Grey and Bell | Third | 28 December 1875 |
| Martin Kennedy | Grey Valley | First | 12 January 1876 |
| Charles Woolcock | Grey Valley | First | 12 January 1876 |
| James Fisher | Heathcote | First | 4 January 1876 |
| Edmund Barff | Hokitika | Second | 14 January 1876 |
| Charles Button | Hokitika | First | 14 January 1876 |
| William Fitzherbert | Hutt | Fifth | 29 December 1875 |
| George Lumsden | Invercargill | First | 24 December 1875 |
| Charles Bowen | Kaiapoi | Second | 21 December 1875 |
| Hugh Murray-Aynsley | Lyttelton | First | 28 December 1875 |
| Walter Woods Johnston | Manawatu | Second | 10 January 1876 |
| Robert Douglas | Marsden | First | 10 January 1876 |
| William Wood | Mataura | Second | 6 January 1876 |
| John William Williams | Mongonui and Bay of Islands | Second | 17 January 1876 |
| Richmond Hursthouse | Motueka | First | 6 January 1876 |
| Cecil de Lautour | Mount Ida | First | 17 January 1876 |
| Donald McLean | Napier | Third | 30 December 1875 |
| William Russell | Napier | First | 30 December 1875 |
| John Sharp | City of Nelson | First | 20 December 1875 |
| Oswald Curtis | City of Nelson | Third | 20 December 1875 |
| Andrew Richmond | Nelson SuburbsSuburbs of Nelson | Fourth | 30 December 1875 |
| Thomas Kelly | New Plymouth | Third | 23 December 1875 |
| William Swanson | Newton | Second | 24 December 1875 |
| Maurice O'Rorke | Onehunga | Fourth | 29 December 1875 |
| Reader Wood | Parnell | Fourth | 31 December 1875 |
| Courtney Kenny | Picton | Third | 18 January 1876 |
| William Reynolds | Port Chalmers | Fourth | 10 January 1876 |
| John Ballance | Rangitikei | Second | 5 January 1876 |
| Samuel Hodgkinson | Riverton | First | 7 January 1876 |
| John Sheehan | Rodney | Second | 17 January 1876 |
| Arthur John Burns | Roslyn | Third | 28 December 1875 |
| Cecil Fitzroy | Selwyn | First | 30 December 1875 |
| Donald Reid | Taieri | Third | 29 December 1875 |
| George Grey | Thames | Second | 6 January 1876 |
| William Rowe | Thames | First | 6 January 1876 |
| Edward Stafford | Timaru | Fifth | 28 December 1875 |
| George Henry Tribe | Totara | Second | 10 January 1876 |
| James Clark Brown | Tuapeka | Third | 22 December 1875 |
| Horace Bastings | Waikaia | First | 14 January 1876 |
| Frederick Whitaker | Waikato | Second | 5 January 1876 |
| George McLean | Waikouaiti | Second | 22 December 1875 |
| Edward Baigent | Waimea | Second | 7 January 1876 |
| Alfred Cox | Waipa | Third | 11 January 1876 |
| Henry Bunny | Wairarapa | Fourth | 4 January 1876 |
| John Andrew | Wairarapa | Second | 4 January 1876 |
| Arthur Seymour | Wairau | Second | 29 January 1876 |
| Samuel Shrimski | Waitaki | First | 10 January 1876 |
| Thomas William Hislop | Waitaki | First | 10 January 1876 |
| John Macfarlane | Waitemata | First | 19 January 1876 |
| Henry Manders | Wakatipu | First | 7 January 1876 |
| James Parker Joyce | Wallace | First | 30 December 1875 |
| John Bryce | Wanganui | Third | 7 January 1876 |
| Julius Vogel | Wanganui | Fourth | 7 January 1876 |
| George Hunter | City of Wellington | Second | 23 December 1875 |
| Edward Pearce | City of Wellington | Second | 23 December 1875 |
| Alfred Brandon | Wellington Country | Fifth | 31 December 1875 |
| Karaitiana Takamoana | X-01Eastern Maori | Second | 15 January 1876 |
| Hori Tawhiti | X-02Northern Maori | First | 15 January 1876 |
| Hōri Kerei Taiaroa | X-03Southern Maori | Second | 4 January 1876 |
| Hoani Nahe | X-04Western Maori | First | 15 January 1876 |