# 8th Parliament of British Columbia

The 8th Legislative Assembly of British Columbia sat from 1899 to 1900. The members were elected in the British Columbia general election held in July 1898. Robert Beaven was asked to form a government but was not able to garner sufficient support, so Charles Augustus Semlin became premier. After a major government bill was defeated in February 1900, Semlin's government was dismissed. Joseph Martin succeeded Semlin but his government was subsequently defeated on a motion of no-confidence. An election followed later that year.
William Thomas Forster served as speaker.

## Members of the 8th General Assembly

The following members were elected to the assembly in 1898:
| Member | Electoral district | Party | First elected / previously elected |
| Alan Webster Neill | Alberni | Opposition | 1898 |
| Hans Lars Helgesen | Cariboo | Opposition | 1878, 1898 |
| John Charlton Kinchant | Cariboo | Opposition | 1898 |
| Charles William Digby Clifford | Cassiar | Government | 1898 |
| John Irving | Cassiar | Government | 1894 |
| James Dunsmuir | Comox | Government | 1898 |
| William Russell Robertson | Cowichan | Government | 1898 |
| William George Neilson | East Kootenay North | Government | 1898 |
| Wilmer Cleveland Wells (1899) | East Kootenay North | Government | 1899 |
| James Baker | East Kootenay South | Government | 1886 |
| David Williams Higgins | Esquimalt | Opposition | 1886 |
| Charles Edward Pooley | Esquimalt | Government | 1882 |
| James Douglas Prentice | Lillooet East | Opposition | 1894, 1898 |
| Alfred Wellington Smith | Lillooet West | Government | 1889 |
| Robert Edward McKechnie | Nanaimo City | Opposition | 1898 |
| Alexander Henderson | New Westminster City | Government | 1898 |
| John Bryden | North Nanaimo | Government | 1875, 1894 |
| John Paton Booth | North Victoria | Government | 1871, 1890 |
| Ralph Smith | South Nanaimo | Labour | 1898 |
| David McEwen Eberts | South Victoria | Government | 1890 |
| Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton | Vancouver City | Opposition | 1890 |
| Robert Macpherson | Vancouver City | Opposition | 1894 |
| Joseph Martin | Vancouver City | Opposition | 1898 |
| Charles Edward Tisdall | Vancouver City | Opposition | 1898 |
| Richard Hall | Victoria City | Government | 1898 |
| Henry Dallas Helmcken | Victoria City | Government | 1894 |
| Albert Edward McPhillips | Victoria City | Government | 1898 |
| John Herbert Turner | Victoria City | Government | 1886 |
| John Frederick Hume | West Kootenay-Nelson | Opposition | 1894 |
| James M. Kellie | West Kootenay-Revelstoke | Opposition | 1890 |
| James Morris Martin | West Kootenay-Rossland | Opposition | 1898 |
| Robert Francis Green | West Kootenay-Slocan | Opposition | 1898 |
| Charles William Munro | Westminster-Chilliwhack | Opposition | 1898 |
| Thomas William Forster | Westminster-Delta | Opposition | 1890 |
| Richard McBride | Westminster-Dewdney | Government | 1898 |
| Thomas Kidd | Westminster-Richmond | Opposition | 1894 |
| Price Ellison | Yale-East | Government | 1898 |
| Francis John Deane | Yale-North | Opposition | 1898 |
| Charles Augustus Semlin | Yale-West | Opposition | 1871, 1882 |
Notes:
* ↑ opposed to the Turner administration
* ↑ Government candidates supported the Turner administration
* ↑ Ran as Labour-Oppositionist; opposed to Turner administration

## By-elections

By-elections were held for the following members appointed to the provincial cabinet, as was required at the time:
* Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton, Minister of Finance, acclaimed October 15, 1898
* Joseph Martin, Attorney General, acclaimed October 15, 1898
* Charles Augustus Semlin, Premier, acclaimed October 15, 1898
* John Frederick Hume, Provincial Secretary and Minister of Mines, acclaimed October 15, 1898
* Alexander Henderson, Attorney General, acclaimed August 31, 1899
By-elections were held to replace members for various other reasons:
| Electoral district | Member elected | Election date | Reason |
| Alberni | Alan Webster Neill | December 15, 1898 | A.W. Neill resigned, having accepted money from government for road work done after the election |
| Cowichan | William Russell Robertson | December 28, 1898 | W. R. Robertson resigned, having accepted money from government for work done after the election |
| Vancouver City | Charles Edward Tisdall | January 25, 1899 | C.E. Tisdall resigned; a clerk in his store sold cartridges to a provincial police officer |
| Victoria City | Richard Hall | February 2, 1899 | R. Hall resigned; his company sold coal to Government House |
| Victoria City | Albert Edward McPhillips | February 2, 1899 | A.E. McPhillips resigned; a fee was paid to his firm |
| Victoria City | John Herbert Turner | February 2, 1899 | J.H. Turner resigned; a branch of his firm sold goods to the government |
| East Kootenay North | Wilmer Cleveland Wells | February 28, 1899 | Death of W.G. Nielson January 6, 1899 |
| West Kootenay-Nelson | John Frederick Hume | February 28, 1899 | J.F. Hume resigned; a police constable and prisoner had stayed at his hotel |
Notes:
* 1 2 Acclaimed

## Other changes

* Vancouver City (Joseph Martin res. on appointment as premier, February 28, 1900)