1858 Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay by-election

New Zealand by-election

The 1858 Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay by-election was a by-election held in the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay electorate during the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, on 22 July 1858.

The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP J. Valentine Smith and was won unopposed by James Ferguson.^[1] Owing to an arbitrary shortening of the time between the issue of the writ and the holding of nominations at Castlepoint (where a single nomination was received) the election was over before many electors knew it was due to take place. Charles Carter had published his intention to stand on 17 July – five days before the nomination.^[2] The validity of the election was called into question^[3] and a petition was sent to the Governor requesting a new writ,^[4] although it seems it was disallowed. The Electoral Districts Act 1858 (coincidentally passed a few weeks after the election)^[5] split the electorate in two with Ferguson declared as incumbent in County of Hawke and Carter winning Wairarapa in the 1859 supplementary election.

References

^ "Nomination and Election". Hawke's Bay Herald. Vol. 1, no. 45. 31 July 1858. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
^ "To the Electors of Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay". Wellington Independent. Vol. X, no. 1309. 24 July 1858. p. 4. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
^ "Public Meeting at Masterton". Wellington Independent. Vol. X, no. 1310. 4 August 1858. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
^ "Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay election". Wellington Independent. Vol. X, no. 1310. 4 August 1858. p. 5. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
^ "Electoral Districts Act 1858".