Canadian federal election, 1872
The second Canadian general election (English 2nd Canadian General Election, French 2e élection fédérale canadienne ) were held to 12 October 1872 by July 20. Were elected 200 Members of the Canadian House of Commons (English House of Commons, French Chambre des Communes ). The conservatives of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald able to defend their seat majority with the support of independent MP and just continued to provide the government.
The choice
Edward Blake, who both had a seat in the Canadian House of Commons and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, resigned as Prime Minister of the Province of Ontario, as dual mandates at the federal and provincial level were abolished. Had the Liberal Party was victorious, Blake would have assumed the office of Prime Minister. The party had no official chairman until 1873, until the election of Alexander Mackenzie in this office. Blake was during the campaign, most of the time sick and it was Mackenzie, who led the election campaign in Ontario (but not in the other provinces ).
The general election of 1872 were the first that were carried out in the new provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba. In the case of British Columbia separate elections were held to allow the province before the expiry of its term adequate representation shortly after joining the Canadian Confederation.
The turnout was 70.3 %.
Results
Overall result
Acclamations
53 deputies were elected by acclamation:
- British Columbia: 4 Liberal - Conservative
- Manitoba: 1 Liberal -Conservative
- Ontario: 3 Conservatives, 3 Liberal - Conservative, 10 Liberal
- Quebec: 9 Conservatives, 5 Liberal - Conservatives, Liberals 5
- New Brunswick: 6 Liberal
- Nova Scotia: one Conservative, Liberal - Conservative 4, 2 Liberal