# Cape Breton (federal electoral district)

Cape Breton was a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1904. It was created as part of the British North America Act, 1867.
The district consisted of the county of Cape Breton and initially returned one member, but returned two members from 1872 until its dissolution. It was abolished when it was redistributed into Cape Breton South and North Cape Breton and Victoria ridings in 1903.

## Geography

The Cape Breton riding was set by the British North America Act, 1867 to consist of Cape Breton County. The county was legally defined in 1852 as:
    "all that part of the late county of Cape Breton to the southward of a line commencing at the entrance of a large stream that falls into the sea, about three miles to the westward of Point Ancomi, at the eastern extremity of the Island of Boularderie, and following the middle of the stream upwards, until it intersects the present highway between the great and little Bras d'Or; thence running parallel to the rear line of the front lot, on the north side of Boularderie, until it comes to the southwestern corner of the Reverend James Fraser's lot, on the north side thence south twenty degrees east, to the southeastern shore of Boularderie, and to continue on the same course to the middle of the Bras d'Or lake thence up the middle thereof westerly, to the middle of the strait of Barra thence following the mid channel thereof to the western end of the Strait thence in a direct line to the line at or near Point Malagawactchkt [sic] that separates the county of Cape Breton from the County of Inverness."
The boundaries were not changed during the 1872 electoral redistribution, but now the riding would return two members to Parliament. No changes occurred during the electoral redistributions of 1882 or 1892. This riding was dissolved and redistributed into the ridings of Cape Breton South and North Cape Breton and Victoria in the 1903 electoral redistribution.

## Members of Parliament

| Parliament | Years | Member | Party | Member | Party |
| Cape Breton ||||||||
| 1st | 1867 – 1869 | James Charles McKeagney | Anti-Confederate |
| 1st | 1869 – 1872 | James Charles McKeagney | Liberal–Conservative |
| 2nd | 1872 – 1873 | Newton LeGayet Mackay | Conservative | William McDonald | Conservative |
| 2nd | 1873 – 1874 | Newton LeGayet Mackay | Liberal | William McDonald | Conservative |
| 3rd | 1874 – 1878 | Newton LeGayet Mackay | Liberal | William McDonald | Conservative |
| 4th | 1878 – 1879 | Hugh McLeod | Liberal–Conservative | William McDonald | Conservative |
| 4th | 1879 – 1882 | William Mackenzie McLeod | Liberal–Conservative | William McDonald | Conservative |
| 5th | 1882 – 1884 | Murray Dodd | Conservative | William McDonald | Conservative |
| 5th | 1884 – 1887 | Murray Dodd | Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | Liberal–Conservative |
| 6th | 1887 – 1891 | David MacKeen | Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | Liberal–Conservative |
| 7th | 1891 – 1895 | David MacKeen | Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | Liberal–Conservative |
| 7th | 1895 – 1896 | Charles Tupper | Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | Liberal–Conservative |
| 8th | 1896 – 1900 | Charles Tupper | Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | Liberal–Conservative |
| 9th | 1900 – 1904 | Alexander Johnston | Liberal | Arthur Samuel Kendall | Liberal |
| Riding dissolved into Cape Breton South and Cape Breton North and Victoria ||||||||

## Election results

vte1900 Canadian federal election :
| Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| Liberal | A. Johnston | 3,922 | – | x |
| Liberal | A.S. Kendall | 3,890 | – | x |
| Conservative | Charles Tupper | 3,672 | |
| Liberal–Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | 3,604 | |
vte1896 Canadian federal election :
| Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| Conservative | Charles Tupper | 3,630 | – | x |
| Liberal–Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | 3,430 | – | x |
| Liberal | A.S. Kendall | 2,813 | |
| Liberal | Joseph McPherson | 2,328 | |
By-election on 4 February 1896
On Mr. MacKeen's resignation to provide a seat for Sir Charles Tupper, 18 December 1895 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Charles Tupper | acclaimed | n/a |
vte1891 Canadian federal election :
| Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| Conservative | David MacKeen | 2,889 | – | x |
| Liberal–Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | 2,681 | – | x |
| Liberal | George H. Murray | 2,161 | |
| Liberal | Joseph McPherson | 2,078 | |
vte1887 Canadian federal election :
| Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| Liberal–Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | 1,883 | – | x |
| Conservative | David MacKeen | 1,873 | – | x |
| Liberal | George H. Murray | 1,703 | |
| Liberal | Michael Slattery | 1,071 | |
| Independent | Joseph A. Gillis | 896 | |
| Independent | John K. McLeod | 606 | |
| Independent | E. Tilton Moseley | 538 | |
By-election on 3 July 1884
On Mr. McDonald being called to the Senate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal–Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | 1,395 |
| | Liberal | Newton LeGayet Mackay | 1,245 |
vte1882 Canadian federal election :
| Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| Conservative | William McDonald | 1,297 | – | Y |
| Conservative | Murray Dodd | 1,237 | – | Y |
| Liberal–Conservative | William Mackenzie McLeod | 1,124 | |
| Liberal | Newton LeGayet Mackay | 1,013 | |
| Liberal–Conservative | Hector Francis McDougall | 934 | |
By-election on 23 October 1879
On Mr. McLeod's death, 5 August 1879 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal–Conservative | William Mackenzie McLeod | 1,094 |
| Liberal | Newton LeGayet Mackay | 866 |
| Conservative | Murray Dodd | 799 |
vte1878 Canadian federal election :
| Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| Liberal–Conservative | Hugh McLeod | 2,056 | – | Y |
| Conservative | William McDonald | 2,051 | – | Y |
| Liberal | Newton LeGayet Mackay | 1,153 | |
| Unknown | Walter Young | 696 | |
vte1874 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| | Conservative | William McDonald | 1,251 | – | Y |
| | Liberal | Newton LeGayet Mackay | 1,136 | – | Y |
| | Liberal–Conservative | Hugh McLeod | 1,108 | – | |
| Source: Canadian Elections Database |||||||
vte1872 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Elected |
| | Conservative | Newton LeGayet MacKay | 1,240 | – | Y |
| | Conservative | William McDonald | 1,038 | – | Y |
| | Liberal–Conservative | Hugh McLeod | 932 | | |
| | Liberal–Conservative | James McKeagney | 882 | | |
| Source: Canadian Elections Database |||||||
vte1867 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Anti-Confederation | Hon. James McKeagney | acclaimed |
| This electoral district was created by the British North America Act, 1867 from the colonial Province of Nova Scotia'a Cape Breton electoral district. Neither of the incumbents ran in this election. |||||||
| Source: Library of Parliament |||||||