# 1878 Nova Scotia general election

The 1878 Nova Scotia general election was held on 17 September 1878 to elect members of the 27th House of Assembly of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Liberal-Conservative Party.

## Results
### Results by party

| 30 | 8 |
| Liberal-Conservative | Liberal |
Official results :
| Party | Party | Party leader | # of candidates | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote |
| Party | Party | Party leader | # of candidates | 1874 | Dissolution | Elected | Change | # | % | Change (pp) |
| | Liberal-Conservative | Simon Hugh Holmes | 38 | 11 | 13 | 30 | +19 | 52,517 | 51.85% | +18.18% |
| | Liberal | Philip Carteret Hill | 41 | 20 | 17 | 8 | -12 | 47,388 | 46.78% | -7.61% |
| | Independent/Other | Independent/Other | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | -7 | 1,388 | 1.37% | -10.57% |
| | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | 1 | | | | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 101,293 | 100.00% | – |
| Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | 0 | 0.00% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 82 | 38 | 38 | 38 | – | 101,293 | 100.00% | – |
Popular vote
Liberal-Conservative
51.85%
Liberal
46.78%
Independent/Other
1.37% :
Seats summary
Liberal-Conservative
78.95%
Liberal
21.05% :

## Retiring incumbents

Independent/Other
* Hiram Black, Cumberland
* Charles Boudroit, Richmond
* John J. McKinnon, Inverness
* John B. North, Kings
Liberal
* Charles Henry Davison, Lunenburg
* Edward Farrell, Halifax
* Charles M. Franchville, Guysborough
* John A. Fraser, Victoria
* Thomas Johnston, Shelburne
* John Lovitt, Yarmouth
* Daniel MacDonald, Antigonish
* David McCurdy, Victoria
Liberal-Conservative
* William Henry Allison, Hants
* Hugh J. Cameron, Pictou
* Avard Longley, Annapolis
* Murdoch McRae, Richmond
* Alfred Putnam, Hants
* Douglas Benjamin Woodworth, Kings

## Nominated candidates

1878 Nova Scotia Provincial Election
Legend bold denotes party leader † denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election or was defeated in nomination contest

### Valley

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | Liberal-Conservative | Liberal-Conservative | Independent/Other | Independent/Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Annapolis | | O. M. Taylor 1,235 24.49% | | William Botsford Troop 1,350 26.77% | | | William Botsford Troop |
| Annapolis | | E. Bent 1,163 23.06% | | Caleb Shaffner 1,295 25.68% | | | Avard Longley† |
| Digby | | Urbine Doucette 738 20.20% | | Benjamin Van Blarcom 833 22.80% | | Colin Campbell 725 19.85% | Colin Campbell |
| Digby | | John S. McNeill 527 14.43% | | Benjamin Van Blarcom 833 22.80% | | Colin Campbell 725 19.85% | Colin Campbell |
| Digby | | Henri M. Robicheau 830 22.72% | | | | | Henri M. Robicheau |
| Hants | | Thomas Barlow Smith 1,507 25.58% | | F. S. Creelman 1,465 24.87% | | | William Henry Allison† |
| Hants | | William Dawson Laurence 1,298 22.03% | | Nathaniel Spence 1,621 27.52% | | | Alfred Putnam† |
| Kings | | G. W. Fisher 1,414 24.87% | | William C. Bill 1,601 28.16% | | | Douglas Benjamin Woodworth† |
| Kings | | E. A. Forsyth 1,143 20.11% | | James S. MacDonald 1,527 26.86% | | | John B. North† |

### South Shore

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | Liberal-Conservative | Liberal-Conservative | Independent/Other | Independent/Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Lunenburg | | James Daniel Eisenhauer 1,263 21.98% | | Charles A. Smith 1,719 29.91% | | | James Daniel Eisenhauer |
| Lunenburg | | F. B. Wade 1,286 22.38% | | Edward James 1,479 25.74% | | | Charles Henry Davison† |
| Queens | | Samuel Freeman 531 21.33% | | Leander Ford 607 24.38% | | | Samuel Freeman |
| Queens | | Jason M. Mack 503 20.20% | | James C. Bartling 534 21.45% | | | Jason M. Mack |
| Queens | | Albert M. Hemeon 315 12.65% | | James C. Bartling 534 21.45% | | | Jason M. Mack |
| Shelburne | | William F. MacCoy 892 22.92% | | Nathaniel Whitworth White 1,140 29.29% | | | Nathaniel Whitworth White |
| Shelburne | | M. Nickerson 871 22.38% | | Nehemiah McGray 989 25.41% | | | Thomas Johnston† |
| Yarmouth | | Albert Gayton 1,086 29.22% | | | | W. V. Brown 470 12.65% | Albert Gayton |
| Yarmouth | | Joseph Robbins Kinney 1,000 26.91% | | Bowman Corning 669 18.% | | | John Lovitt† |
| Yarmouth | | A. S. Lent 491 13.21% | | Bowman Corning 669 18.% | | | John Lovitt† |

### Fundy-Northeast

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | Liberal-Conservative | Liberal-Conservative | Independent/Other | Independent/Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Colchester | | C. N. Cummings 1,402 21.77% | | William Albert Patterson 1,846 28.66% | | | William Albert Patterson |
| Colchester | | Fred Tupper 1,308 20.31% | | William Blair 1,885 29.27% | | | Vacant |
| Cumberland | | William Oxley 1,657 25.78% | | Charles James Townshend 1,792 27.88% | | | Hiram Black† |
| Cumberland | | C. Lewis 1,311 20.40% | | Edward Vickery 1,667 25.94% | | | Edward Vickery |

### Halifax

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | Liberal-Conservative | Liberal-Conservative | Independent/Other | Independent/Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Halifax | | Philip Carteret Hill 2,866 15.76% | | Charles James MacDonald 3,375 18.55% | | | Philip Carteret Hill |
| Halifax | | Donald Archibald 2,722 14.96% | | William D. Harrington 3,353 18.43% | | | Donald Archibald |
| Halifax | | Michael Joseph Power 2,739 15.06% | | John Pugh 3,135 17.23% | | | Edward Farrell† |

### Central Nova

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | Liberal-Conservative | Liberal-Conservative | Independent/Other | Independent/Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Antigonish | | | | John Sparrow David Thompson Acclamation | | | John Sparrow David Thompson |
| Antigonish | | Angus McGillivray Acclamation | | | | | Daniel MacDonald† |
| Guysborough | | D. C. Fraser 596 19.22% | | Joseph William Hadley 803 25.89% | | | Charles M. Franchville† |
| Guysborough | | Otto Schwartz Weeks 502 16.19% | | Alexander N. McDonald 698 22.51% | | | Otto Schwartz Weeks |
| Guysborough | | H. R. Cunningham 502 16.19% | | Alexander N. McDonald 698 22.51% | | | Otto Schwartz Weeks |
| Pictou | | George Murray 2,349 15.85% | | Simon Hugh Holmes 2,752 18.57% | | | Simon Hugh Holmes |
| Pictou | | John D. McLeod 2,250 15.18% | | Adam Carr Bell 2,694 18.18% | | | Hugh J. Cameron† |
| Pictou | | Robert McNeil 2,183 14.73% | | Alexander MacKay 2,592 17.49% | | | Alexander MacKay |

### Cape Breton

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | Liberal-Conservative | Liberal-Conservative | Independent/Other | Independent/Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Cape Breton | | Alonzo J. White 930 16.82% | | Hector Francis McDougall 1,027 18.57% | | | Alonzo J. White |
| Cape Breton | | Alonzo J. White 930 16.82% | | J. H. Hearn 716 12.95% | | | Alonzo J. White |
| Cape Breton | | Alonzo J. White 930 16.82% | | Joseph McVarish 371 6.71% | | | Alonzo J. White |
| Cape Breton | | D. McKenzie 614 11.10% | | Ebenezer Tilton Moseley 1,523 27.54% | | | Ebenezer Tilton Moseley |
| Cape Breton | | D. McKenzie 614 11.10% | | Michael McKinnon 349 6.31% | | | Ebenezer Tilton Moseley |
| Inverness | | Duncan J. Campbell 1,650 27.36% | | D. Gillies 1,393 23.10% | | | Duncan J. Campbell |
| Inverness | | John McKinnon 1,440 23.88% | | Alexander Campbell 1,548 25.67% | | | John J. McKinnon† |
| Richmond | | Isidore LeBlanc 599 26.11% | | Edward Gagnon 551 24.02% | | | Charles Boudroit† |
| Richmond | | Joseph Matheson 501 21.84% | | Alexander McCuish 643 28.03% | | | Murdoch McRae† |
| Victoria | | William F. McCurdy 594 25.36% | | J. S. McLean 368 15.71% | | William Kidston 193 8.24% | David McCurdy† |
| Victoria | | John Ross 580 24.77% | | John Angus Morrison 607 25.92% | | | John A. Fraser† |