George Morris (New Zealand politician)

George Bentham Morris (1840 – 16 April 1903) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from the Gisborne and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand. 

Biography

He represented the East Coast electorate from 1876 (when he was declared elected on a petition) to 1879, when he was defeated. 

The  in the newly formed  electorate was hotly contested.  Four candidates were nominated: Morris; William Kelly, who had also previously represented the East Coast electorate; George Vesey Stewart, then the owner of the Bay of Plenty Times; and Henry Thomas Rowe, a surveyor and commission agent.  Rowe announced his retirement from the contest on 6 December three days out from election day, urging his supporters to vote for Stewart instead.  The unofficial results were released the day after the election (Saturday, 10 December) and Morris had a majority of 13 votes over Stewart, with the official declaration to be made on 12 December.  This was deferred until 14 December, with Morris ahead by 10 votes.  Stewart stood for the Tauranga mayoralty a few months later and was elected the town's first mayor. 

He represented the Tauranga electorate until 1885, when he resigned. 

He was later a member of the Legislative Council, from 15 May 1885 to 16 April 1903, when he died. 

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References

Category:1840 births
Category:1903 deaths
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Category:Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council
Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
Category:19th-century New Zealand politicians