# 13th New Zealand Parliament

The 13th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1896 general election in December of that year.

## 1896 general election

The 1896 general election was held on Wednesday, 4 December in the general electorates and on Thursday, 19 December in the Māori electorates, respectively. In the 1896 electoral redistribution, rapid population growth in the North Island required the transfer of three seats from the South Island to the north. Four electorates that previously existed were re-established (Geraldine, Manawatu, Motueka, and Taranaki), and three electorates were established for the first time (Ohinemuri, Hawera, and Pahiatua). A total of 74 MPs were elected; 34 represented North Island electorates, 36 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates. 337,024 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 76.1%.

## Sessions

The 13th Parliament sat for four sessions (there were two sessions in 1897), and was prorogued on 15 November 1899.
| Session | Opened | Adjourned |
| first | 6 April 1897 | 10 April 1897 |
| second | 23 September 1897 | 22 December 1897 |
| third | 24 June 1898 | 6 November 1898 |
| fourth | 23 June 1899 | 24 October 1899 |

## Overview of seats

| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members | Members |
| Affiliation | Affiliation | At election | At dissolution |
| | Liberal | 37 | 35 |
| | Liberal–Labour | 4 | 4 |
| Government total | Government total | 41 | 39 |
| | Conservative | 27 | 29 |
| | Independent | 4 | 4 |
| | Independent Liberal | 2 | 2 |
| Opposition total | Opposition total | 33 | 35 |
| Total | Total | 74 | 74 |
| Working government majority | Working government majority | 8 | 4 |

## Ministries

The Liberal Government of New Zealand had taken office on 24 January 1891. The Seddon Ministry under Richard Seddon had taken office in 1893 during the term of the 11th Parliament. The Seddon Ministry remained in power for the whole term of this Parliament and held power until Seddon's death on 10 June 1906.

## Initial composition of the 13th Parliament

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

## By-elections during 13th Parliament

There were a number of changes during the term of the 13th Parliament.
| Electorate and by-election | Electorate and by-election | Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner |
| Suburbs of Wellington | 1897 | 23 April | Thomas Wilford | Election declared void | Charles Wilson |
| Awarua | 1897 | 5 August | Sir Joseph Ward | Bankruptcy | Sir Joseph Ward |
| City of Dunedin | 1897 | 13 October | Henry Fish | Death | Alexander Sligo |
| City of Wellington | 1898 | 9 March | Sir Robert Stout | Resignation | John Duthie |
| Mataura | 1898 | 26 May | George Richardson | Bankruptcy | Robert McNab |
| Tuapeka | 1898 | 2 November | William Larnach | Death | Charles Rawlins |
| City of Wellington | 1899 | 25 July | John Hutcheson | Resignation | John Hutcheson |