15th New Zealand Parliament

15th Parliament of New Zealand
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Overview
Legislative body	New Zealand Parliament
Term	29 June 1903 – 30 October 1905
Election	1902 New Zealand general election
Government	Liberal Government
House of Representatives
Members	80
Speaker of the House	Arthur Guinness
Premier	Richard Seddon
Leader of the Opposition	William Massey
Legislative Council
Members	46 (at start) 41 (at end)
Speaker of the Council	Charles Bowen — Richard Reeves acting 23 March - 30 June 1905 — Alfred Cadman until 23 March 1905 † — John Rigg acting 5 January - 7 July 1904 — William Walker until 5 January 1904† — Henry Miller until 9 July 1903
Sovereign
Monarch	HM Edward VII
Governor	HE Rt. Hon. THe Lord Plunket — HE Rt. Hon. The Earl of Ranfurly until 20 June 1904

The 15th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1902 general election in November and December of that year.

1902 electoral redistribution

The Representation Act 1900 had increased the membership of the House of Representatives from general electorates 70 to 76, and this was implemented through the 1902 electoral redistribution. In 1902, changes to the country quota affected the three-member electorates in the four main centres. The tolerance between electorates was increased to ±1,250 so that the Representation Commissions (since 1896, there had been separate commissions for the North and South Islands) could take greater account of communities of interest. These changes proved very disruptive to existing boundaries.^[1] Six electorates were established for the first time: Courtenay, Newtown, Grey Lynn , Hurunui, Oroua, and Kaipara. Two electorates that previously existed were re-established: Mount Ida and Hutt.^[2]

This boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of three electorates:^[2]

• Ashley, held by Richard Meredith
• Suburbs of Wellington, held by Thomas Wilford
• Waihemo, held by Thomas Mackenzie

1902 general election

Main article: 1902 New Zealand general election

The 1902 general election was held on Tuesday, 25 November in the general electorates and on Monday, 22 December in the Māori electorates, respectively.^[3] A total of 80 MPs were elected; 38 represented North Island electorates, 38 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates.^[4] 415,789 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 76.7%.^[3]

Sessions

The 15th Parliament sat for three sessions, and was prorogued on 15 November 1905.^[5]

Session	Opened	Adjourned
first	29 June 1903	24 November 1903
second	28 June 1904	8 November 1904
third	27 June 1905	31 October 1905

Ministries

The Liberal Government of New Zealand had taken office on 24 January 1891.^[6] The Seddon Ministry under Richard Seddon had taken office in 1893 during the term of the 11th Parliament.^[7] The Seddon Ministry remained in power for the whole term of this Parliament and held power until Seddon's death on 10 June 1906.^[8]

Party composition

Start of term

Party		Seats
	Liberal	47
	Conservative	19
	Independent	10
	Other	4
Source[9]

Initial composition of the 15th Parliament

The following are the results of the 1902 general election:

Key

  Liberal   Conservative   Independent Liberal   Liberal–Labour   Independent

Electorate results for the 1902 New Zealand general election^[10]^[11]

Electorate	Incumbent		Winner		Majority	Runner up
General electorates
Ashburton		John McLachlan			439		John Studholme
Auckland, City of		William Joseph Napier		Alfred Kidd	934		William Richardson
		Joseph Witheford			1,515		William Joseph Napier
		George Fowlds		Frederick Baume	2,282		Arthur Rosser
Avon		William Tanner			58		John Russell Brunt
Awarua		Joseph Ward			1,882		David Whyte
Bay of Islands		Robert Houston			410		A G C Glass
Bay of Plenty		William Herries			626		D Lundon
Bruce		James Allen			1,113		J A Scott
Buller		James Colvin			2,601		Frank Isitt
Caversham		Thomas Sidey			444		William Earnshaw
Chalmers	New electorate			Edmund Allen	612		John White
Christchurch, City of		George John Smith		Tommy Taylor	899		William Whitehouse Collins
		Harry Ell			901		George John Smith
		William Whitehouse Collins		Thomas Davey	2,233		Arthur Hughes Turnbull
Clutha		James William Thomson			640		Daniel Stewart
Courtenay	New electorate			Charles Lewis	350		John Rennie
Dunedin, City of		Alfred Richard Barclay		Harry Bedford	1,321		Alfred Richard Barclay
		John A. Millar
					3,775		R Chisholm
		James Arnold
Eden		John Bollard			1,628		P E Cheal
Egmont		Walter Symes		William Thomas Jennings	15		Charles Leech[12]
Ellesmere		Heaton Rhodes			501		C R Thornton
Franklin		William Massey			1,176		Alfred Richard Harris
Geraldine		Frederick Flatman			972		William Maslin
Grey		Arthur Guinness			2,145		Frank Isitt
Grey Lynn	New electorate			George Fowlds	118		T T Masefield
Hawera		Felix McGuire		Charles E. Major	21		Felix McGuire
Hawke's Bay		William Russell			1,443		Frank Isitt
Hurunui	New electorate			Andrew Rutherford	697		Henry Fear Reece
Hutt	New electorate			Thomas Wilford	441		Frederick Pirani
Invercargill		Josiah Hanan			1,508		David Whyte
Kaiapoi		David Buddo			1,256		Alfred Daniel Hassall
Kaipara	New electorate			Alfred Harding	359		John Stallworthy
Lyttelton		George Laurenson			2,172		William Rollitt
Manawatu		John Stevens		Job Vile	176		John Stevens
Manukau		Sir Maurice O'Rorke		Matthew Kirkbride	227		Sir Maurice O'Rorke
Marsden		Robert Thompson		Francis Mander	58		Robert Thompson
Masterton		Alexander Hogg			948		J C Cooper
Mataura		Robert McNab			438		J W Raymond
Motueka		Roderick McKenzie			1,838		Frank Isitt
Mount Ida	New electorate			Alexander Herdman	131		John Ewing
Napier		Alfred Fraser			1,490		Richard Joseph Eames[13]
Nelson		John Graham			14		Harry Atmore
Newtown	New electorate			William Henry Peter Barber	28		Thomas Hislop
Oamaru		Thomas Young Duncan			880		John Marshall Brown[14]
Ohinemuri		Jackson Palmer		Edward George Britton Moss	186		Jackson Palmer
Oroua	New electorate			Frank Lethbridge	613		Arthur Henry Tompkins
Otaki		William Hughes Field			1,510		Frank Isitt
Pahiatua		John O'Meara			337		Samuel Bolton
Palmerston		Frederick Pirani		William Thomas Wood	384		T R Hodder
Parnell		Frank Lawry			124		John Shera
Patea		Frederick Haselden		Walter Symes	451		Frederick Haselden
Rangitikei		Frank Lethbridge		Arthur Remington	247		W J Birch
Riccarton		George Warren Russell		George Witty	285		George Warren Russell
Selwyn		Charles Hardy			543		Joseph Ivess
Taieri		Walter Carncross		Donald Reid	354		J J Ramsay
Taranaki		Edward Smith			314		Henry Okey
Thames		James McGowan			885		William Henry Lucas
Timaru		William Hall-Jones			1,651		F H Smith
Tuapeka		James Bennet			66		Robert Gilkison
Waipawa		Charles Hall			1,568		James Taylor
Waikato		Frederic Lang			225		Henry Greenslade
Waikouaiti		Edmund Allen		Thomas Mackenzie	1,846		Frank Isitt
Wairarapa		J. T. Marryat Hornsby		Walter Clarke Buchanan	66		J. T. Marryat Hornsby
Wairau		Charles H. Mills			411		John Duncan
Waitaki		William Steward			592		John Campbell
Waitemata		Richard Monk		Ewen Alison	714		Alexander John Hatfield[15]
Waiapu		James Carroll			1,670		Frank Isitt
Wakatipu		William Fraser			449		Robert Beatson Ross
Wallace		Michael Gilfedder		John Thomson	793		Michael Gilfedder
Wanganui		Archibald Willis			1,438		J W Baker
Wellington, City of		John Hutcheson		John Aitken	380		Patrick O'Regan
		Arthur Atkinson		John Duthie	591		Arthur Atkinson
		George Fisher			1,921		John Findlay
Westland		Richard Seddon			2,696		Frank Isitt
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori		Wi Pere			614		Pirimi Mataiawhea
Northern Maori		Hone Heke			1,546		Hāmiora Mangakāhia
Southern Maori		Tame Parata			80		Hone Taare Tikao
Western Maori		Henare Kaihau			2,370		Ngarangi Katitia

Changes during 15th Parliament

There were a number of changes during the term of the 15th Parliament.

By-elections

Electorate and by-election		Date	Incumbent		Cause	Winner
Pahiatua	1904	28 July		John O'Meara	Death		Bill Hawkins
City of Wellington	1905	6 April		George Fisher	Death		Frank Fisher

Defections

Name	Year	Seat	From		To
Alfred Harding	1905	Kaipara		Conservative		New Liberal
Francis Fisher	1905	City of Wellington		Independent Liberal
George Laurenson	1905	Lyttelton		Liberal
Harry Bedford	1905	City of Dunedin		Independent Liberal
Tommy Taylor	1905	City of Christchurch

Notes

1. McRobie 1989, pp. 67f.
2. McRobie 1989, pp. 63–68.
3. "General elections 1853–2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
4. Scholefield 1950, p. 90.
5. Scholefield 1950, p. 69.
6. Scholefield 1950, p. 40.
7. Scholefield 1950, pp. 40–41.
8. Hamer, David. "Seddon, Richard John - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
9. "1890–1993 general elections | Elections". Elections.nz. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
10. "The General Election, 1902". National Library. 1903. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
11. "The Elections". The Press. Vol. LIX, no. 11436. 21 November 1902. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
12. "Mr Charles Leech". Auckland Star. Vol. XXXIII, no. 281. 26 November 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
13. "Electoral District of Napier". Hawke's Bay Herald. Vol. XXXVII, no. 12308. 1 December 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
14. "Electoral District of Oamaru". The Oamaru Mail. Vol. XXVIII, no. 8060. 29 November 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
15. "Page 18 Advertisements Column 1". Observer. Vol. XXIII, no. 10. 22 November 1902. p. 18. Retrieved 3 December 2014.

References

• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
• Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

External links