# 1890 Ontario general election

The 1890 Ontario general election was the seventh general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 5, 1890, to elect the 91 members of the 7th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").
The Assembly had been increased from 90 members after the passage of an Act in 1889 creating Nipissing as a riding.
The election was a victory for the Ontario Liberal Party, led by Oliver Mowat. The party won a sixth consecutive term in government, despite losing a small number of seats in the Legislature.
The Ontario Conservative Party, led by William Ralph Meredith won two additional seats.
This election was held partially using the Limited voting system where each Toronto voter had two votes for the three MPPs in the district. This produced mixed representation in that district and thus a degree of minority representation.
A key issue in the election was the segregation of schools for Catholic and Protestant students, with the Liberal Party supporting the segregation and the Conservatives opposing it.
An 1887 Act had renamed the riding of Cornwall and Stormont as Stormont.

## Results

Elections to the 7th Parliament of Ontario (1890) :
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | MPPs | MPPs | MPPs | MPPs | MPPs | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | Candidates | 1886 | Dissol. | 1890 | ± | # | % | ± (pp) |
| | Liberal | Oliver Mowat | 87 | 57 | | 53 | 4 | 162,118 | 49.63% | 1.22 |
| | Conservative | William Ralph Meredith | 74 | 32 | | 34 | 2 | 130,289 | 39.88% | 7.14 |
| | Conservative-Equal Rights | | 14 | – | – | 2 | 2 | 26,154 | 8.01% | New |
| | Liberal-Equal Rights | | 2 | – | – | 2 | 2 | 3,352 | 1.03% | New |
| | Independent | | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 7 | – | 0.68 |
| | Equal Rights | | 7 | – | – | – | | 3,131 | 0.96% | New |
| | Independent-Liberal | | 1 | – | – | – | | 1,620 | 0.50% | New |
| | Labour | | | – | – | – | | Did not campaign | Did not campaign | Did not campaign |
| | Temperance | | | – | – | – | | Did not campaign | Did not campaign | Did not campaign |
| | Vacant | | | | | | | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 186 | 90 | 90 | 91 | | 326,671 | 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 | 3,110 | | |
| Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | 473,853 | 69.60% | 0.09 |
Seats and popular vote by party of major influence :
| Party | Seats | Votes | Change (pp) | Change (pp) |
| Liberal | 53 / 91 | 49.63% | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Conservative | 34 / 91 | 39.88% | -7.14 | |
| Equal Rights | 4 / 91 | 10.00% | 10.00 | 10 |
| Labour | 0 / 91 | 0.00% | -3.85 | |
| Other | 0 / 91 | 0.49% | -0.23 | |
* 1 2 Straight party support only. Other MLAs sponsored by Equal Rights Party are allocated to the latter, to show extent of influence.

### Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1890 Ontario general election :
| Riding | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Turnout | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Name | 1886 | 1886 | Party | Party | Votes | Share | Margin # | Margin % | Turnout | Lib | Con | EqR | I-Lib | Ind | Total |
| Addington | | Con | | Con | 1,498 | 51.48% | 86 | 2.96% | 62.05% | 1,412 | 1,498 | – | – | – | 2,910 |
| Algoma East | | Lib | | Con | 1,569 | 50.97% | 60 | 1.95% | 110.54% | 1,509 | 1,569 | – | – | – | 3,078 |
| Algoma West | | Lib | | Lib | 786 | 51.95% | 59 | 3.90% | 116.85% | 786 | 727 | – | – | – | 1,513 |
| Brant North | | Lib | | Lib | 1,178 | 64.20% | 521 | 28.39% | 66.55% | 1,178 | 657 | – | – | – | 1,835 |
| Brant South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,067 | 59.06% | 634 | 18.11% | 65.02% | 2,067 | 1,433 | – | – | – | 3,500 |
| Brockville | | Lib | | Lib | 1,781 | 52.37% | 161 | 4.73% | 62.44% | 1,781 | – | – | 1,620 | – | 3,401 |
| Bruce Centre | | Lib | | Lib | 1,860 | 54.56% | 311 | 9.12% | 69.74% | 1,860 | – | 1,549 | – | – | 3,409 |
| Bruce North | | Con | | Con | 1,835 | 50.23% | 17 | 0.47% | 70.83% | 1,818 | 1,835 | – | – | – | 3,653 |
| Bruce South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,179 | 64.41% | 975 | 28.82% | 64.86% | 2,179 | 1,204 | – | – | – | 3,383 |
| Cardwell | | Con | | Con | 1,183 | 50.97% | 45 | 1.94% | 41.81% | – | 2,321 | – | – | – | 2,321 |
| Carleton | | Con | | Con | 1,145 | 50.20% | 9 | 0.39% | 45.56% | 1,136 | 1,145 | – | – | – | 2,281 |
| Stormont | | Lib | | Lib | 2,262 | 54.27% | 356 | 8.54% | 68.38% | 2,262 | 1,906 | – | – | – | 4,168 |
| Dufferin | | Con | | C-ER | 1,333 | 54.70% | 730 | 29.95% | 40.18% | 603 | – | 1,834 | – | – | 2,437 |
| Dundas | | Lib | | Con | 2,104 | 51.92% | 156 | 3.85% | 78.15% | 1,948 | 2,104 | – | – | – | 4,052 |
| Durham East | | Con | | C-ER | 1,314 | 50.19% | 10 | 0.38% | 55.35% | – | 1,304 | 1,314 | – | – | 2,618 |
| Durham West | | Lib | | Lib | 1,694 | 50.76% | 51 | 1.53% | 73.21% | 1,694 | 1,643 | – | – | – | 3,337 |
| Elgin East | | Lib | | Con | 2,038 | 51.49% | 118 | 2.98% | 74.29% | 1,920 | 2,038 | – | – | – | 3,958 |
| Elgin West | | Con | | Con | 2,384 | 52.02% | 185 | 4.04% | 67.70% | 2,199 | 2,384 | – | – | – | 4,583 |
| Essex North | | Lib | | Con | 1,901 | 47.90% | 635 | 16.00% | 58.22% | 2,068 | 1,901 | – | – | – | 3,969 |
| Essex South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,505 | 52.15% | 207 | 4.31% | 73.61% | 2,505 | 2,298 | – | – | – | 4,803 |
| Frontenac | | Con | | Con | 1,258 | 52.03% | 98 | 4.05% | 65.67% | 1,160 | 1,258 | – | – | – | 2,418 |
| Glengarry | | Lib | | Lib | 1,756 | 53.96% | 258 | 7.93% | 66.38% | 1,756 | 1,498 | – | – | – | 3,254 |
| Grenville | | Con | | Con | 1,611 | 57.33% | 412 | 14.66% | 48.87% | – | 2,810 | – | – | – | 2,810 |
| Grey Centre | | Con | | Con | 1,513 | 52.48% | 143 | 4.96% | 48.76% | 1,370 | 1,513 | – | – | – | 2,883 |
| Grey North | | Con | | Lib | 2,312 | 54.44% | 377 | 8.88% | 67.88% | 2,312 | 1,935 | – | – | – | 4,247 |
| Grey South | | Con | | Lib | 2,156 | 51.73% | 144 | 3.45% | 72.98% | 2,156 | 2,012 | – | – | – | 4,168 |
| Haldimand | | Lib | | Lib | 2,000 | 54.54% | 333 | 9.08% | 81.00% | 2,000 | 1,667 | – | – | – | 3,667 |
| Halton | | Con | | Con | 2,377 | 51.98% | 181 | 3.96% | 78.53% | 2,196 | 2,377 | – | – | – | 4,573 |
| Hamilton | | Lib | | Con | 4,111 | 50.53% | 86 | 1.06% | 78.54% | 4,025 | 4,111 | – | – | – | 8,136 |
| Hastings East | | Con | | Con | 1,801 | 50.13% | 9 | 0.25% | 79.49% | 1,792 | 1,801 | – | – | – | 3,593 |
| Hastings North | | Con | | Con | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed |
| Hastings West | | Con | | Lib | 1,678 | 52.11% | 136 | 4.22% | 64.41% | 1,678 | 1,542 | – | – | – | 3,220 |
| Huron East | | Lib | | Lib | 2,256 | 56.27% | 503 | 12.55% | 73.87% | 2,256 | 1,753 | – | – | – | 4,009 |
| Huron South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,144 | 51.91% | 158 | 3.83% | 68.23% | 2,144 | 1,986 | – | – | – | 4,130 |
| Huron West | | Lib | | Lib | 2,125 | 51.35% | 112 | 2.71% | 64.60% | 2,125 | 2,013 | – | – | – | 4,138 |
| Kent East | | Lib | | Lib | 2,347 | 53.99% | 633 | 14.56% | 88.46% | 4,061 | – | 286 | – | – | 4,347 |
| Kent West | | Con | | Con | 2,823 | 50.37% | 41 | 0.73% | 65.34% | 2,782 | 2,823 | – | – | – | 5,605 |
| Kingston | | Con | | Con | 1,629 | 50.45% | 29 | 0.90% | 58.16% | 1,600 | 1,629 | – | – | – | 3,229 |
| Lambton East | | Lib | | Lib | 2,203 | 52.40% | 462 | 10.99% | 73.65% | 2,203 | 1,741 | 260 | – | – | 4,204 |
| Lambton West | | Lib | | Lib | 2,748 | 55.46% | 713 | 14.39% | 56.04% | 2,748 | 2,035 | 172 | – | – | 4,955 |
| Lanark North | | Lib | | L-ER | 1,525 | 53.30% | 189 | 6.61% | 71.27% | – | 1,336 | 1,525 | – | – | 2,861 |
| Lanark South | | Con | | Con | 1,509 | 58.17% | 431 | 16.62% | 54.29% | 1,078 | 1,509 | – | – | 7 | 2,594 |
| Leeds | | Con | | Con | 1,813 | 57.10% | 451 | 14.20% | 57.69% | 1,362 | 1,813 | – | – | – | 3,175 |
| Lennox | | Con | | Con | 1,441 | 50.38% | 22 | 0.77% | 70.54% | 1,419 | 1,441 | – | – | – | 2,860 |
| Lincoln | | Lib | | Con | 2,424 | 51.63% | 153 | 3.26% | 67.51% | 2,271 | 2,424 | – | – | – | 4,695 |
| London | | Con | | Con | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed |
| Middlesex East | | Con | | Con | 2,508 | 50.58% | 58 | 1.17% | 74.07% | 2,450 | 2,508 | – | – | – | 4,958 |
| Middlesex North | | Lib | | Lib | 2,060 | 51.05% | 85 | 2.11% | 78.04% | 2,060 | 1,975 | – | – | – | 4,035 |
| Middlesex West | | Lib | | Lib | 1,950 | 51.64% | 124 | 3.28% | 80.35% | 1,950 | 1,826 | – | – | – | 3,776 |
| Monck | | Lib | | Lib | 1,765 | 56.83% | 424 | 13.65% | 71.30% | 3,106 | 0 | – | – | – | 3,106 |
| Muskoka | | Con | | Con | 1,565 | 51.46% | 89 | 2.93% | 77.76% | 1,476 | 1,565 | – | – | – | 3,041 |
| Nipissing | New | New | | Lib | 881 | 67.25% | 452 | 34.50% | 64.56% | 881 | 429 | – | – | – | 1,310 |
| Norfolk North | | Lib | | Lib | 1,601 | 55.30% | 307 | 10.60% | 72.46% | 1,601 | 1,294 | – | – | – | 2,895 |
| Norfolk South | | Con | | Lib | 1,563 | 51.06% | 65 | 2.12% | 76.54% | 1,563 | 1,498 | – | – | – | 3,061 |
| Northumberland East | | Con | | Con | 2,185 | 53.36% | 275 | 6.72% | 83.74% | 1,910 | 2,185 | – | – | – | 4,095 |
| Northumberland West | | Lib | | Lib | 1,453 | 57.82% | 393 | 15.64% | 65.90% | 1,453 | 1,060 | – | – | – | 2,513 |
| Ontario North | | Lib | | Con | 1,869 | 51.07% | 78 | 2.13% | 70.38% | 1,791 | 1,869 | – | – | – | 3,660 |
| Ontario South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,460 | 51.38% | 132 | 2.76% | 73.43% | 2,460 | 2,328 | – | – | – | 4,788 |
| Ottawa | | Lib | | Lib | 3,379 | 63.24% | 1,415 | 26.48% | 58.66% | 3,379 | – | 1,964 | – | – | 5,343 |
| Oxford North | | Lib | | Lib | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed |
| Oxford South | | Lib | | Lib | 1,764 | 64.69% | 801 | 29.37% | 44.21% | 1,764 | – | 963 | – | – | 2,727 |
| Parry Sound | | Ind | | Lib | 1,387 | 52.06% | 110 | 4.13% | n/a | 1,387 | 1,277 | – | – | – | 2,664 |
| Peel | | Lib | | Lib | 2,059 | 51.54% | 123 | 3.08% | 74.33% | 2,059 | – | 1,936 | – | – | 3,995 |
| Perth North | | Con | | Lib | 2,729 | 50.86% | 92 | 1.71% | 72.44% | 2,729 | 2,637 | – | – | – | 5,366 |
| Perth South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,241 | 58.19% | 631 | 16.39% | 61.55% | 2,241 | – | 1,610 | – | – | 3,851 |
| Peterborough East | | Lib | | Lib | 1,421 | 51.43% | 79 | 2.86% | 70.40% | 1,421 | – | 1,342 | – | – | 2,763 |
| Peterborough West | | Lib | | Lib | 1,925 | 58.58% | 564 | 17.16% | 70.65% | 1,925 | – | 1,361 | – | – | 3,286 |
| Prescott | | Lib | | Lib | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed | acclaimed |
| Prince Edward | | Lib | | Lib | 2,040 | 50.09% | 7 | 0.17% | 71.71% | 2,040 | 2,033 | – | – | – | 4,073 |
| Renfrew North | | Lib | | Con | 1,843 | 51.22% | 88 | 2.45% | 75.64% | 1,755 | 1,843 | – | – | – | 3,598 |
| Renfrew South | | Lib | | Lib | 1,470 | 49.71% | 229 | 7.74% | 63.02% | 2,711 | – | 246 | – | – | 2,957 |
| Russell | | Lib | | Lib | 2,223 | 61.56% | 835 | 23.12% | 57.36% | 2,223 | 1,388 | – | – | – | 3,611 |
| Simcoe Centre | | Lib | | Lib | 1,559 | 57.72% | 417 | 15.44% | 60.03% | 1,559 | – | 1,142 | – | – | 2,701 |
| Simcoe East | | Lib | | Con | 2,092 | 51.96% | 158 | 3.92% | 62.59% | 1,934 | 2,092 | – | – | – | 4,026 |
| Simcoe West | | Con | | Con | 1,318 | 61.56% | 495 | 23.12% | 44.95% | 823 | 1,318 | – | – | – | 2,141 |
| Victoria East | | Con | | Con | 1,459 | 51.26% | 72 | 2.53% | 55.05% | 1,387 | 1,459 | – | – | – | 2,846 |
| Victoria West | | Con | | L-ER | 1,827 | 56.70% | 432 | 13.41% | 66.13% | – | 1,395 | 1,827 | – | – | 3,222 |
| Waterloo North | | Lib | | Lib | 2,205 | 59.79% | 722 | 19.58% | 66.67% | 2,205 | 1,483 | – | – | – | 3,688 |
| Waterloo South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,161 | 55.34% | 417 | 10.68% | 66.42% | 2,161 | 1,744 | – | – | – | 3,905 |
| Welland | | Lib | | Con | 2,345 | 50.77% | 71 | 1.54% | 71.83% | 2,274 | 2,345 | – | – | – | 4,619 |
| Wellington East | | Lib | | Lib | 1,562 | 58.61% | 459 | 17.22% | 53.37% | 1,562 | 1,103 | – | – | – | 2,665 |
| Wellington South | | Lib | | Lib | 2,098 | 59.20% | 652 | 18.40% | 61.76% | 2,098 | 1,446 | – | – | – | 3,544 |
| Wellington West | | Lib | | Lib | 1,495 | 55.70% | 306 | 11.40% | 58.64% | 1,495 | 1,189 | – | – | – | 2,684 |
| Wentworth North | | Lib | | Lib | 1,469 | 55.43% | 288 | 10.87% | 72.58% | 1,469 | 1,181 | – | – | – | 2,650 |
| Wentworth South | | Lib | | Lib | 1,472 | 50.88% | 51 | 1.76% | 81.96% | 1,472 | 1,421 | – | – | – | 2,893 |
| York East | | Lib | | Lib | 1,705 | 58.94% | 517 | 17.87% | 63.29% | 1,705 | – | 1,188 | – | – | 2,893 |
| York North | | Lib | | Lib | 1,875 | 61.29% | 691 | 22.59% | 47.87% | 1,875 | – | 1,184 | – | – | 3,059 |
| York West | | Lib | | Lib | 1,789 | 50.87% | 61 | 1.73% | 94.73% | 1,789 | – | 1,728 | – | – | 3,517 |
* ↑ excluding Toronto, a multi-member constituency
* ↑ order is as given in EO reports
* ↑ the incumbent William Henry Hammell was the winning candidate
* ↑ John Barr (Conservative/Equal Rights) was the winning candidate
* ↑ the incumbent Gaspard Pacaud received 1,266 votes
* ↑ the incumbent Frederick John French received 1,199 votes
* ↑ the incumbent Robert Ferguson was the winning candidate
* ↑ the Liberal incumbent William Clyde Caldwell ran as a Liberal/Equal Rights candidate
* ↑ the incumbent Richard Harcourt was the winning candidate
* ↑ William Arnson Willoughby was elected in 1886, but was unseated by the court
* ↑ the winning candidate John Francis Dowling had been previously elected to the Legislature
    = open seat
    = turnout is above provincial average
    = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
    = incumbent had switched allegiance
    = previously incumbent in another riding
    = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
    = incumbency arose from byelection gain
    = incumbency arose from prior election result being overturned by the court
    = other incumbents renominated
    = joint Conservative/Equal Rights candidate
    = joint Liberal/Equal Rights candidate
    = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
    = multiple candidates
Results for Toronto (3 seats) :
| Political party | Political party | Candidate | Votes | % | Elected | Incumbent |
| | Conservative | Edward Frederick Clarke | 5,862 | 18.81 | Y | Y |
| | Conservative | Henry Edward Clarke | 5,542 | 17.78 | Y | Y |
| | Liberal | Joseph Tait | 5,359 | 17.20 | Y |
| | Liberal | Alfred McDougall | 5,197 | 16.68 |
| | Conservative/Equal Rights | E.D. Armour | 4,502 | 14.45 |
| | Conservative/Equal Rights | Robert Bell | 4,001 | 12.84 |
| | Equal Rights | Frank Moses | 703 | 2.26 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 162 | 0.52 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,287 | 72.31 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 43,265 |
* ↑ plurality for third winning candidate

### Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place :
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Total |
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Accl | Lib | Con | C-ER | Ind-L | ER | Total |
| | Liberal | 2 | 3 | 35 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 52 |
| | Conservative | 2 | 28 | 2 | | | | 32 |
| | C-ER | | 1 | 1 | | | | 2 |
| | L-ER | | | 2 | | | | 2 |
| Total | Total | 4 | 32 | 40 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 88 |
* ↑ excluding Toronto seats
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party :
| Parties | Accl | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| █ Liberal | 2 | 50 | 32 | 2 | 1 | |
| █ Conservative | 2 | 31 | 41 | | | |
| █ Conservative/Equal Rights | | 2 | 10 | | | 1 |
| █ Liberal/Equal Rights | | 2 | | | | |
| █ Equal Rights | | | 1 | 5 | | |
| █ Independent Liberal | | | 1 | | | |
| █ Independent | | | | 1 | | |
Resulting composition of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario :
| Source | Source | Party | Party | Party | Party | Party |
| Source | Source | Lib | Con | C-ER | L-ER | Total |
| Seats retained | Incumbents returned | 36 | 14 | | | 50 |
| Seats retained | Returned by acclamation | 2 | 2 | | | 4 |
| Seats retained | Open seats held | 6 | 3 | | | 9 |
| Seats retained | Byelection loss reversed | | 2 | | | 2 |
| Seats retained | Defeated by same-party candidate | | 1 | | | 1 |
| Seats changing hands | Incumbents defeated | 5 | 9 | | 1 | 15 |
| Seats changing hands | Open seats gained | 2 | | 2 | | 4 |
| Seats changing hands | Byelection gains held | | 1 | | | 1 |
| Seats changing hands | Incumbent changed allegiance | | | | 1 | 1 |
| New seat | New MLAs | 1 | | | | 1 |
| Toronto seats | MLA returned | | 2 | | | 2 |
| Toronto seats | New MLAs | 1 | | | | 1 |
| Total | Total | 53 | 34 | 2 | 2 | 91 |

### MLAs elected by region and riding

Party designations are as follows:

### Seats that changed hands

In its first election, Nipissing returned the Liberal candidate John Loughrin as its MLA.
Elections to the 18th Parliament of Ontario – seats won/lost by party, 1886–1890 :
| Party | Party | 1886 | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | Gain from (loss to) | 1890 |
| Party | Party | 1886 | Lib | Lib | Con | Con | Con-ER | Con-ER | Lib-ER | Lib-ER | Ind | Ind | | 1890 |
| | Liberal | 57 | | | 5 | (10) | | | | (1) | 1 | | 52 |
| | Conservative | 32 | 10 | (5) | | | | (2) | | (1) | | | 34 |
| | Conservative-Equal Rights | – | | | 2 | | | | | | | | 2 |
| | Liberal-Equal Rights | – | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | 2 |
| | Independent | 1 | | (1) | | | | | | | | | – |
| Total | Total | 90 | 11 | (6) | 8 | (10) | – | (2) | – | (2) | 1 | – | 90 |
In the election, 20 seats changed their allegiance.