1883 Ontario general election

The 1883 Ontario general election was the fifth general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada, to elect the 88 Members of the 5th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").[1] Held on February 27, 1883, the fifth Ontario provincial election was the only one ever contested in the month of February.[2]

1883 Ontario general election

← 1879 February 27, 1883 1886 →

88 seats in the 5th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
45 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Oliver Mowat William Ralph Meredith
Party Liberal Conservative
Leader since 1872 1879
Leader's seat Oxford North London
Last election 57 29
Seats won 48 37
Seat change Decrease9 Increase8

Premier before election

Oliver Mowat
Liberal

Premier after election

Oliver Mowat
Liberal

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Oliver Mowat, won a fourth consecutive term in government, despite losing nine seats in the Legislature.

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by William Ralph Meredith, won eight additional seats.

Results

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Elections to the 5th Parliament of Ontario (1883)[1]
Political party Party leader MNAs Votes
Candidates 1879 1883 ± # ± % ± (pp)
Liberal Oliver Mowat 87 57 48 9  125,017 5,869  48.20% 0.13 
Conservative William Ralph Meredith 80 29 37 8  120,853 2,340  46.59% 1.23 
Independent Liberal 3 2 2  3,239 3,239  1.25% New
Independent 8 1 1  3,956 3,071  1.53% 1.73 
Independent Conservative 4 2 2  2,354 243  0.91% 0.06 
Labour 3 3,957 3,957  1.53% New
Total 185 88 88 259,376 100.00%
Rejected ballots 1,722 1,722 
Voter turnout 261,098 13,241  67.95 4.73 
Registered electors 384,255 7,830 
Acclamations  Liberal 4
 Conservative 1
Seats and popular vote by party
Party Seats Votes Change (pp)
 Liberal
48 / 88
48.20%
0.13 0.13
 
 Conservative
37 / 88
46.59%
-1.23
 
 Independent Liberal
2 / 88
1.25%
1.25 1.25
 
 Independent
1 / 88
1.53%
-1.73
 
 Independent Conservative
0 / 88
0.91%
0.06 0.06
 
 Labour
0 / 88
1.53%
1.53 1.53
 

Synopsis of results

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Results by riding - 1879 Ontario general election[1]
Riding Winning party Turnout Votes
Name[a 1] 1879 Party Votes Share Margin
#
Margin
%
Lib Con Lab I-Lib I-Con Ind Total
 
Addington Lib Con 1,739 52.78% 183 5.55% 76.31% 1,556 1,739 3,295
Algoma Lib Lib 1,625 51.82% 114 3.64% n/a 1,625 1,511 3,136
Brant North Lib Lib acclaimed
Brant South Lib Lib 1,563 60.89% 559 21.78% 54.74% 1,563 1,004 2,567
Brockville Lib Lib 1,516 56.40% 344 12.80% 61.63% 1,516 1,172 2,688
Bruce North Lib I-Lib 1,186 52.66% 120 5.33% 44.23% 1,066 1,186 0 2,252
Bruce South Lib Lib acclaimed
Cardwell Lib Con 1,500 50.68% 40 1.35% 80.17% 1,460 1,500 2,960
Carleton Con Con 1,302 55.86% 820 35.18% 51.72% 237 1,784[a 2] 310 2,331
Cornwall Lib Con 710 51.49% 41 2.97% 70.33% 669 710 1,379
Dufferin Con Con 1,051 47.13% 369 16.55% 50.18% 1,051 1,179[a 3] 2,230
Dundas Con Con 1,798 52.21% 152 4.41% 77.32% 1,646 1,798 3,444
Durham East Con Con 1,496 53.85% 214 7.70% 65.33% 1,282 1,496 2,778
Durham West Lib Lib 1,480 52.63% 148 5.26% 73.79% 1,480 1,332 2,812
Elgin East Lib Con 2,416 50.95% 90 1.90% 66.03% 2,326 2,416 4,742
Elgin West Lib Lib 1,324 51.26% 65 2.52% 72.26% 1,324 1,259 2,583
Essex North Con Con 1,537 55.93% 326 11.86% 59.60% 1,211 1,537[a 4] 2,748
Essex South Con Lib 1,705 50.50% 34 1.01% 77.77% 1,705 1,671[a 4] 3,376
Frontenac Con Con 1,103 54.25% 173 8.51% 75.81% 930 1,103 2,033
Glengarry Con Lib 1,436 52.07% 114 4.13% 74.18% 1,436 1,322 2,758
Grenville South Con Con 1,194 51.20% 56 2.40% 73.19% 1,138 1,194 2,332
Grey East Con Con 1,548 52.85% 167 5.70% 62.00% 1,548 1,381 2,929
Grey North Con Con 2,048 51.97% 155 3.93% 70.14% 1,893 2,048 3,941
Grey South Lib Con 1,596 52.97% 179 5.94% 74.62% 1,417 1,596 3,013
Haldimand Lib Lib 1,708 50.91% 61 1.82% 78.88% 1,708 1,647 3,355
Halton Lib Con 2,004 51.93% 149 3.86% 68.06% 1,855 2,004 3,859
Hamilton Lib Lib 2,077 39.78% 155 2.97% 63.07% 2,077 1,922 1,222 5,221
Hastings East I-Con Con 1,426 51.39% 77 2.77% 77.60% 1,349 1,426 2,775
Hastings North Con Con 1,324 54.26% 208 8.52% 64.93% 1,116 1,324 2,440
Hastings West Con Lib 1,217 50.48% 23 0.95% 61.06% 1,217 1,194 2,411
Huron East Lib Lib 1,994 50.52% 41 1.04% 75.58% 1,994 1,953 3,947
Huron South Lib Lib 1,962 51.74% 132 3.48% 71.07% 1,962 1,830 3,792
Huron West Lib Lib 2,061 52.11% 167 4.22% 67.56% 2,061 1,894 3,955
Kent East Lib Lib 1,947 52.61% 193 5.21% 63.36% 1,947 1,754 3,701
Kent West Lib Con 2,299 55.12% 427 10.24% 58.10% 1,872 2,299 4,171
Kingston Con Con 951 52.69% 108 5.98% 59.93% 843 951 3 1,805
Lambton East Lib Lib 2,017 51.44% 113 2.88% 71.80% 2,017 1,904 3,921
Lambton West Lib Lib 1,943 55.26% 370 10.52% 57.62% 1,943 1,573 3,516
Lanark North Lib Lib 1,247 54.19% 193 8.39% 72.68% 1,247 1,054 2,301
Lanark South I-Con Ind 1,089 46.56% 29 1.24% 61.79% 1,188 1,151[a 5] 2,339
Leeds North and Grenville North Con Con 837 49.94% 1 0.06% 60.18% 836 837 3 1,676
Leeds South Con Con 1,553 55.09% 287 10.18% 69.08% 1,266 1,553 2,819
Lennox Lib Con 1,502 53.06% 173 6.11% 73.09% 1,329 1,502 2,831
Lincoln Lib Lib acclaimed
London Con Con acclaimed
Middlesex East Con Lib 2,702 50.80% 85 1.60% 66.01% 2,702 2,617 5,319
Middlesex North Lib Lib 1,946 50.47% 36 0.93% 75.05% 1,946 1,910 3,856
Middlesex West Lib Con 1,835 51.21% 87 2.43% 77.21% 1,748 1,835 3,583
Monck Lib Lib 1,574 52.17% 131 4.34% 77.93% 1,574 1,443 3,017
Muskoka and Parry Sound Lib Con 2,278 52.30% 200 4.59% 66.47%[a] 2,078 2,278 4,356
Norfolk North Lib Lib 1,633 57.54% 428 15.08% 69.29% 1,633 1,205 2,838
Norfolk South Con Con 1,492 50.49% 29 0.98% 73.68% 1,463 1,492 2,955
Northumberland East Lib Lib 2,156 50.91% 77 1.82% 77.37% 2,156 2,079 4,235
Northumberland West Lib Con 1,506 50.96% 57 1.93% 71.97% 1,449 1,506 2,955
Ontario North Lib Lib 2,412 50.25% 24 0.50% 73.11% 2,412 2,388 4,800
Ontario South Lib Lib 1,743 53.06% 201 6.12% 66.17% 1,743 1,542 3,285
Ottawa Con Con 1,363 48.49% 528 18.78% 51.65% 835 1,363 613 2,811
Oxford North Lib Lib acclaimed
Oxford South Lib Lib 1,640 53.77% 230 7.54% 52.71% 1,640 1,410 3,050
Peel Lib Lib 1,521 51.40% 83 2.81% 76.40% 1,521 1,438 2,959
Perth North Lib Con 2,642 51.14% 118 2.28% 72.78% 2,524 2,642 5,166
Perth South Lib Lib 1,712 53.35% 215 6.70% 69.88% 1,712 1,497 3,209
Peterborough East Lib Lib 1,265 59.11% 390 18.22% 71.04% 1,265 875 2,140
Peterborough West Con Con 1,262 51.76% 86 3.53% 63.78% 1,176 1,262 2,438
Prescott Con Lib 1,292 50.63% 32 1.25% 73.22% 2,552[a 6] 2,552
Prince Edward Lib I-Lib 2,045 50.47% 38 0.94% 77.94% 2,007 2,045 4,052
Renfrew North Lib Lib 1,108 54.10% 168 8.20% 71.40% 1,108[a 7] 940 2,048
Renfrew South Lib Lib 934 52.83% 100 5.66% 69.17% 934 834 1,768
Russell Lib Con 1,265 46.47% 322 11.83% 63.68% 959 1,265 498 2,722
Simcoe East Lib Lib 1,403 50.38% 21 0.75% 65.70% 1,403 1,382 2,785
Simcoe South Con Con 1,214 53.72% 168 7.43% 66.99% 1,046 1,214 2,260
Simcoe West Con Lib 1,699 50.52% 35 1.04% 64.51% 1,699 1,664 3,363
Stormont Con Con 1,145 56.21% 253 12.42% 74.67% 892 1,145 2,037
Toronto East Con Con 2,135 47.93% 124 2.78% 50.44% 2,011 2,135 308 4,454
Toronto West Con Con 2,634 52.05% 207 4.09% 44.83% 2,634 2,427 5,061
Victoria North Lib Con 1,189 55.95% 253 11.91% 71.16% 936 1,189 2,125
Victoria South Lib Lib 1,609 50.55% 35 1.10% 72.40% 1,609 1,574 3,183
Waterloo North Lib Lib 1,569 65.16% 730 30.32% 61.85% 1,569 839 2,408
Waterloo South Lib Lib 1,606 51.16% 73 2.33% 73.03% 1,606 1,533 3,139
Welland Con Lib 2,070 50.67% 55 1.35% 67.82% 2,070 2,015 4,085
Wellington Centre Lib Lib 1,569 59.89% 518 19.77% 58.83% 1,569 1,051 2,620
Wellington South Lib Lib 1,348 50.62% 33 1.24% 68.02% 1,348 1,315 2,663
Wellington West Lib Lib 2,103 56.28% 469 12.55% 64.73% 2,103 1,634 3,737
Wentworth North Lib Lib 1,430 52.77% 150 5.54% 72.14% 1,430 1,280 2,710
Wentworth South Con Lib 1,410 50.50% 28 1.00% 76.12% 1,410 1,382[a 8] 2,792
York East Lib Lib 2,022 53.20% 243 6.39% 71.39% 2,022 1,779 3,801
York North Lib Lib 2,328 61.23% 854 22.46% 66.79% 2,328 1,474 3,802
York West Lib Con 1,553 50.50% 31 1.01% 66.33% 1,522 1,553 3,075
  1. ^ order is as given in EO reports
  2. ^ the incumbent George William Monk was the winning candidate
  3. ^ the incumbent William Jelly ran as an Independent Conservative, getting 682 votes
  4. ^ a b Solomon White campaigned in two ridings
  5. ^ the incumbent William Lees ran and won as an Independent candidate
  6. ^ the incumbent Albert Peter Hagar, having won in an 1881 byelection, was the winning candidate
  7. ^ Thomas Murray had won in Renfrew South in 1879, but had resigned his seat to unsuccessfully contest a federal seat in Pontiac in the 1878 election.
  8. ^ Franklin Metcalfe Carpenter had previously won in 1879, but his election was overturned on petition to the court.
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
  = incumbent had switched allegiance
  = previously incumbent in another riding
  = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = incumbency arose from prior election result being overturned by the court
  = other incumbents renominated
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = multiple candidates

Analysis

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Party candidates in 2nd place[1]
Party in 1st place Party in 2nd place Total
Accl Lib Con I-Con Lab Ind
Liberal 4 1 42 1 48
Conservative 1 32 1 1 1 1 37
Independent Liberal 2 2
Independent 1 1
Total 5 36 43 2 1 1 88
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party[1]
Parties Accl 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
 Liberal 4 44 36 1 2
 Conservative 1 36 43
 Independent Liberal 2 1
 Independent 1 1 3 2 1
 Independent Conservative 2 2
 Labour 1 2
Resulting composition of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario[1]
Source Party
Lib Con I-Lib Ind Total
Seats retained Incumbents returned 32 13 45
Returned by acclamation 4 1 5
Open seats held 3 6 9
Byelection loss reversed 1 1
Ouster of incumbent changing allegiance 1 1
Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated 1 14 1 16
Open seats gained 3 2 1 6
Byelection gains held 3 3
Incumbent changing allegiance 1 1
Retention of seat overturned in previous election 1 1
Total 48 37 2 1 88

MLAs elected by region and riding

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Party designations are as follows:

  Liberal
  Conservative
  Independent Liberal
  Independent

See also

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Notes and references

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Notes

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  1. ^ Part of the district was unorganized territory, for which voter's lists were not prepared. Total valid ballots were 4,356 of which 1,815 came from such territory. Net amount was 2,541 plus 16 rejected ballots giving 2,557 net turnout. Compared to 3,847 registered voters, this gives a turnout of 66.47%.[3]
  2. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. Dowling was returned in the subsequent byelection.[4]
  3. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued after appeal dismissed. Jacob William Dill (Liberal) won the subsequent byelection.[5]
  4. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. Phelps was returned in the subsequent byelection.[4]
  5. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. George William Ross (Liberal) won the subsequent byelection.[4]
  6. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued. Hammell was returned in the subsequent byelection.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "1883 general election results". Elections Ontario. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "Ontario Political History 101". January 6, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  3. ^ "Sessional Paper No. 1". Sessional Papers (Vol. XVI–Part I). Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1884. pp. 48–49.
  4. ^ a b c d Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario. Vol. XVII. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1884. pp. 20–23.
  5. ^ Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario. Vol. XVIII. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1885. pp. 9–12.