1897 Wellington Suburbs by-election

New Zealand by-election

1897 Wellington Suburbs by-election

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| <- 1896 general | 23 April 1897 | 1899 general ->

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Turnout| 3,933
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Candidate  | Charles Wilson | Arthur Atkinson
Party  | Liberal | Conservative
Popular vote  | 2,036 | 1,897
Percentage  | 51.76 | 48.23

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| Member before election

Thomas Wilford
Liberal

| Elected Member

Charles Wilson
Liberal

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The Wellington Suburbs by-election of 1897 was a by-election held on 23 April 1897 during the 13th New Zealand Parliament in the urban lower North Island electorate of Wellington Suburbs.

## Background[edit]

Thomas Wilford won the Wellington Suburbs seat in the 1896 election for the Liberal Party. However, he was subsequently declared guilty of corrupt electoral practices after an electoral petition was lodged after it was revealed he exceeded the £200 campaign spending limit which had been introduced for the election. As a result, the election was declared void.[1]

The subsequent by-election for Wilford's seat was a two-way contest. Academic Charles Wilson contested the seat in the interests of the Liberal Government and Arthur Atkinson stood on behalf of the opposition. Wilson was successful in retaining the electorate for the Liberals, with a slightly reduced majority.[2]

## Results[edit]

The following table gives the election results:

1897 Wellington Suburbs by-election[2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Liberal | Charles Wilson | 2,036  | 51.76  |
| Conservative | Arthur Atkinson | 1,897  | 48.23  |
Majority  | 139  | 3.53  |
Turnout | 3,933  |  |

Wilson retired in 1899 when the next general election was held, and Wilford won the seat back on behalf of the Liberal Party.[3] Two years later, Wilson was appointed as the first chief librarian of the Parliamentary library. Some saw this as controversial and merely a reward by the Liberal Government for his prior services to the Liberal Party.[4]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 245.
2. ^ a b "The Wellington Suburbs Election". Press. Vol. LIV, no. 9710\. 24 April 1897. p. 8. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
3. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 245f.
4. ^ "Charles Wilson". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2016.

## References[edit]

* Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

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« (1853–1890) « By-elections in New Zealand in the Liberal Party era (1891–1911)  » (1912–1938) »

11th Parliament|

* Northern Maori, 1891
* Egmont, 1891
* Newton, 1891
* Te Aroha, 1891
* Waikato, 1891
* City of Christchurch, 1891
* City of Wellington, 1892
* Bruce, 1892
* Rangitikei, 1892
* Inangahua, 1893
* Wanganui, 1893
* Thames, 1893
* City of Auckland, 1893

12th Parliament|

* Waitemata, 1894
* Tuapeka, 1894
* City of Auckland, 1895
* City of Christchurch, 1896

13th Parliament|

* Wellington Suburbs, 1897
* Awarua, 1897
* City of Dunedin, 1897
* City of Wellington, 1898
* Mataura, 1898
* Tuapeka, 1898
* City of Wellington, 1899

14th Parliament|

* Otaki, 1900
* City of Auckland, 1900
* Waihemo, 1900
* Northern Maori, 1901
* City of Christchurch, 1901
* Patea, Jul 1901
* Patea, Nov 1901
* Caversham, 1901

15th Parliament|

* Pahiatua, 1904
* City of Wellington, 1905

16th Parliament|

* Westland, 1906
* Manukau, 1906
* Taranaki, 1907
* Tuapeka, 1908

17th Parliament|

* Thames, 1909
* Northern Maori, 1909
* Rangitikei, 1909
* Auckland East, 1910
* Christchurch North, 1911

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