# 1896 New Zealand general election

The 1896 New Zealand general election was held on Wednesday, 4 December in the general electorates, and on Thursday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 13th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 337,024 (76.1%) voters turned out to vote.
1896 was the year the limit of £200 was placed on each candidate's campaign spending.

## Background

The Liberal government campaigned on a platform that the election was between the people and the "selfish few". The economy stagnated, raising unemployment, which caused support for the Liberals to fall in the cities and they lost many seats, though not enough to be removed from office by the Conservatives. In rural areas, the swing in support was not as large due to the public works and land settlement programmes helping to support the regions. In June 1896 Seddon had replaced Joseph Ward as Finance Minister whilst the latter had resigned after being declared temporarily bankrupt. As such Seddon himself took on the workload of the treasury making him more susceptible to opposition attacks over the economy. He proved to be a cautious financier, budgeting for surpluses while maintaining the spirit of self reliance his predecessor John Ballance had advocated.

## Results
### Party totals

The following table gives party strengths and vote distribution according to Wilson (1985), who records Maori representatives as Independents prior to the 1905 election.
Election results :
| Party | Candidates | Total votes | Percentage | Seats won | Change |
| Liberal | 81 | 184,650 | 54.78% | 39 | -12 |
| Conservative | 70 | 114,574 | 33.99% | 26 | +13 |
| Independent | 60 | 37,800 | 11.23% | 9 | -1 |

### Votes summary

Popular Vote
Liberal
54.78%
Conservative
33.99%
Independents
11.23% :
Parliament seats
Liberal
52.70%
Conservative
35.13%
Independents
12.16% :
The table below shows the results of the 1896 general election:
Key
Liberal  Conservative  Independent Liberal  Liberal–Labour  Independent
Electorate results for the 1896 New Zealand general election :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Ashburton | | John McLachlan | | Edward George Wright | 242 | John McLachlan |
| Ashley | | Richard Meredith | Richard Meredith | Richard Meredith | 372 | Henry Fear Reece |
| Auckland, City of | | Thomas Thompson | Thomas Thompson | Thomas Thompson | 2,516 | Arthur Rosser |
| Auckland, City of | | Charles Button | | James Job Holland | 1,622 | Arthur Rosser |
| Auckland, City of | | William Crowther | William Crowther | William Crowther | 1,328 | Arthur Rosser |
| Avon | | William Tanner | William Tanner | William Tanner | 457 | George McIntyre |
| Awarua | | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | 783 | Cuthbert Cowan |
| Bay of Islands | | Robert Houston | Robert Houston | Robert Houston | 627 | John Press |
| Bay of Plenty | | William Kelly | | William Herries | 132 | William Kelly |
| Bruce | | James Allen | James Allen | James Allen | 1,059 | William Auld |
| Buller | | Roderick McKenzie | | Patrick O'Regan | 292 | James Colvin |
| Caversham | | Arthur Morrison | Arthur Morrison | Arthur Morrison | 1,178 | Thomas Sidey |
| Christchurch, City of | | Charles Lewis | Charles Lewis | Charles Lewis | 6,570 | William Whitehouse Collins |
| Christchurch, City of | | George Smith | George Smith | George Smith | 5,940 | William Whitehouse Collins |
| Christchurch, City of | | William Whitehouse Collins | | Tommy Taylor | 5,445 | William Whitehouse Collins |
| Clutha | | Thomas Mackenzie | | James Thomson | 903 | John Edie |
| Dunedin, City of | | William Hutchison | | Scobie Mackenzie | 2,132 | David Pinkerton |
| Dunedin, City of | | David Pinkerton | | John A. Millar | 547 | David Pinkerton |
| Dunedin, City of | | William Earnshaw | | Henry Fish | 378 | David Pinkerton |
| Eden | | Edwin Mitchelson | | John Bollard | 214 | Jackson Palmer |
| Egmont | | Felix McGuire | | Walter Symes | 270 | William Monkhouse |
| Ellesmere | | William Montgomery Jr. | William Montgomery Jr. | William Montgomery Jr. | 564 | Frederick Arthur Anson |
| Franklin | | Benjamin Harris | | William Massey | 474 | Benjamin Harris |
| Geraldine | New electorate | New electorate | | Frederick Flatman | 211 | Arthur Rhodes |
| Grey | | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | 1,777 | Robert Francis Bell |
| Hawera | New electorate | New electorate | | Felix McGuire | 36 | Benjamin Robbins |
| Hawke's Bay | | William Russell | William Russell | William Russell | 833 | Alfred Fraser |
| Invercargill | | James Whyte Kelly | James Whyte Kelly | James Whyte Kelly | 578 | John Sinclair |
| Kaiapoi | | David Buddo | | Richard Moore | 259 | David Buddo |
| Lyttelton | New electorate | New electorate | | John Joyce | 446 | William Jacques |
| Manawatu | New electorate | New electorate | | John Stevens | 71 | Robert Bruce |
| Manukau | | Maurice O'Rorke | Maurice O'Rorke | Maurice O'Rorke | 215 | Frank Buckland |
| Masterton | | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | 263 | Donald John Cameron |
| Marsden | | Robert Thompson | Robert Thompson | Robert Thompson | 402 | Alfred H Mason |
| Mataura | | Robert McNab | | George Richardson | 201 | Robert McNab |
| Motueka | New electorate | New electorate | | Roderick McKenzie | 126 | Richmond Hursthouse |
| Napier | | Samuel Carnell | | Douglas Maclean | 747 | Samuel Carnell |
| Nelson | | John Graham | John Graham | John Graham | 343 | Jesse Piper |
| Oamaru | | Thomas Duncan | Thomas Duncan | Thomas Duncan | 771 | James Dickson Sievwright |
| Ohinemuri | New electorate | New electorate | | Alfred Cadman | 2,037 | Edwin Edwards |
| Otaki | | James Wilson | | Henry Augustus Field | 408 | Alfred Newman |
| Pahiatua | New electorate | New electorate | | John O'Meara | 30 | Robert Manisty |
| Palmerston | | Frederick Pirani | Frederick Pirani | Frederick Pirani | 50 | David Buick |
| Parnell | | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | 470 | Samuel Vaile |
| Patea | | George Hutchison | George Hutchison | George Hutchison | 605 | Arthur Remington |
| Rangitikei | | John Stevens | | Frank Lethbridge | 271 | Walter A L Bailey |
| Riccarton | | George Warren Russell | | William Rolleston | 391 | George Warren Russell |
| Selwyn | | Alfred Saunders | | Cathcart Wason | 182 | Alfred Saunders |
| Taieri | | Walter Carncross | Walter Carncross | Walter Carncross | 554 | John Graham |
| Taranaki | New electorate | New electorate | | Henry Brown | 97 | Edward Smith |
| Thames | | James McGowan | James McGowan | James McGowan | 323 | Edmund Taylor |
| Timaru | | William Hall-Jones | William Hall-Jones | William Hall-Jones | 640 | Francis Henry Smith |
| Tuapeka | | William Larnach | William Larnach | William Larnach | 21 | Charles Rawlins |
| Waiapu | | James Carroll | James Carroll | James Carroll | 368 | Cecil Fitzroy |
| Waihemo | | John McKenzie | John McKenzie | John McKenzie | 554 | John Duncan |
| Waikato | | Alfred Cadman | | Frederic Lang | 1,012 | Edward Walker |
| Waipawa | | Charles Hall | | George Hunter | 211 | Charles Hall |
| Waikouaiti | | James Green | | Edmund Allen | 761 | John J Ramsay |
| Wairarapa | | Walter Clarke Buchanan | Walter Clarke Buchanan | Walter Clarke Buchanan | 333 | J. T. Marryat Hornsby |
| Wairau | | Lindsay Buick | | Charles H. Mills | 58 | Lindsay Buick |
| Waitaki | | William Steward | William Steward | William Steward | 999 | Duncan Sutherland |
| Waitemata | | William Massey | | Richard Monk | 171 | Heathcote Jackman |
| Wakatipu | | William Fraser | William Fraser | William Fraser | 335 | James George |
| Wallace | | James Mackintosh | | Michael Gilfedder | 116 | Rev. Thomas Neave |
| Wanganui | | Archibald Willis | | Gilbert Carson | 84 | Archibald Willis |
| Wellington, City of | | Robert Stout | | Robert Stout | 475 | Arthur Atkinson |
| Wellington, City of | | Francis Bell | | John Hutcheson | 580 | Arthur Atkinson |
| Wellington, City of | | John Duthie | | George Fisher | 28 | Arthur Atkinson |
| Wellington Suburbs | | Alfred Newman | | Thomas Wilford | 252 | Thomas William Hislop |
| Westland | | Richard Seddon | Richard Seddon | Richard Seddon | 1,883 | Joseph Grimmond |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Wi Pere | Wi Pere | Wi Pere | 1,744 | Tamati Tautuhi |
| Northern Maori | | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | 1,316 | Eparaima Te Mutu Kapa |
| Southern Maori | | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | 113 | Thomas Ellison |
| Western Maori | | Ropata Te Ao | | Henare Kaihau | 731 | Ropata Te Ao |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ Robert Thompson was regarded as Liberal in the previous Parliament
* ↑ Frederick Pirani was regarded as Liberal in the previous Parliament
* ↑ George Warren Russell distanced himself from the Liberal Party and, together with Frederick Pirani, unsuccessfully tried to form the Radical Party
* ↑ Lindsay Buick distanced himself from the Liberal Party and became an Independent Liberal-Labour candidate
* ↑ Robert Stout was regarded as Liberal in the previous Parliament
* ↑ The affiliation of Thomas Ellison, who is listed in most contemporary sources under his Māori name Tame Rangiwahia Erihana, is not known
The election of Thomas Wilford for the electorate of Suburbs of Wellington was declared void by an election petition on the grounds of corrupt and illegal practices. Charles Wilson was elected MP for that electorate following a by-election on 23 April 1897.

## Summary of changes

* A boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of seven seats:
** Chalmers, held by John A. Millar
** Inangahua, held by Patrick O'Regan
** New Plymouth, held by Edward Smith
** Pareora, held by Frederick Flatman
** Rangitata, held by William Maslin
** Waimea-Sounds, held by Charles Mills
** Waipa, held by Frederic Lang
* At the same time, seven new seats came into being:
** Geraldine
** Hawera
** Manawatu
** Motueka
** Ohinemuri
** Pahiatua
** Taranaki