By-elections to the 2nd Canadian Parliament were held to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada between the 1872 federal election and the 1874 federal election. The Conservative Party of Canada led a majority government for most of the 2nd Canadian Parliament.
The list includes Ministerial by-elections which occurred due to the requirement that Members of Parliament recontested their seats upon being appointed to Cabinet. These by-elections were almost always uncontested. This requirement was abolished in 1931. By-election Date Incumbent Party Winner Party Cause RetainedVictoriaDecember 20, 1873William Ross Liberal William Ross Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister of MilitiaYesAntigonishDecember 20, 1873Hugh McDonald Liberal-Conservative Angus McIsaac Liberal Appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova ScotiaNoWest TorontoDecember 18, 1873John Willoughby Crawford ConservativeThomas Moss Liberal Incumbent's deathNoBruce SouthDecember 14, 1873Edward Blake LiberalEdward Blake Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister without portfolioYesShelburneDecember 9, 1873Thomas Coffin Liberal-ConservativeThomas Coffin Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Receiver-General of CanadaNoLennoxDecember 3, 1873Richard John Cartwright Liberal Richard John Cartwright Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister of FinanceYesQueen's CountyDecember 3, 1873David Laird Liberal David Laird Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister of the InteriorYesCity of St. JohnDecember 1, 1873Samuel Leonard Tilley Liberal-Conservative Jeremiah Smith Boies De Veber Liberal Appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New BrunswickNoCity and County of St. JohnDecember 1, 1873Isaac Burpee Liberal Isaac Burpee Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister of CustomsYesWestmorlandNovember 28, 1873Albert James Smith Liberal Albert James Smith Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Marine and FisheriesYesBellechasseNovember 27, 1873Télesphore Fournier Liberal Télesphore Fournier Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Inland RevenueYesNapiervilleNovember 27, 1873Antoine-Aimé Dorion Liberal Antoine-Aimé Dorion Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Minister of JusticeYesGlengarryNovember 26, 1873Donald Alexander Macdonald Liberal Donald Alexander Macdonald Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Postmaster-GeneralYesLambtonNovember 25, 1873Alexander Mackenzie Liberal Alexander Mackenzie Liberal Recontested upon appointment as Prime Minister and Minister of Public WorksYesLavalOctober 28, 1873Joseph-Hyacinthe Bellerose Conservative Joseph-Aldric Ouimet Liberal-Conservative Called to the SenateYesProvencherOctober 13, 1873George-Étienne Cartier Liberal-Conservative Louis Riel Independent Incumbent's deathNoPrince CountySeptember 29, 1873New seat James Colledge Pope and James YeoConservative and Liberal Held as a result of Prince Edward Island joining Confederation. Elected 2 MPs.NAQueen's CountySeptember 29, 1873New seat David Laird and Peter Sinclair Liberal Held as a result of Prince Edward Island joining Confederation. Elected 2 MPs.NAKing's CountySeptember 29, 1873New Seat Daniel Davies and Augustine Colin Macdonald Conservative and Liberal-Conservative Held as a result of Prince Edward Island joining Confederation. Elected 2 MPs.NACarletonSeptember 18, 1873Charles Connell Liberal Stephen Burpee Appleby Liberal Incumbent's deathYesAntigonishJuly 7, 1873Hugh McDonald Liberal-Conservative Hugh McDonald Liberal-Conservative Recontested upon appointment as President of the Privy CouncilYesOntario SouthJuly 7, 1873Thomas Nicholson Gibbs Liberal-Conservative Thomas Nicholson Gibbs Liberal-Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Secretary of State for the Provinces and Superintendent General of Indian AffairsYesHantsJuly 5, 1873Joseph Howe Liberal-Conservative Monson Henry Goudge Liberal Appointed Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.NoDurham WestApril 10, 1873Edward Blake Liberal Edmund Burke Wood Liberal Chose to sit for Bruce South.YesQuebec CountyMarch 28, 1873Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau Conservative Adolphe-Philippe Caron Conservative Called to the SenateYesBonaventureFebruary 15, 1873Théodore Robitaille Conservative Théodore Robitaille Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Receiver-GeneralYesWellandNovember 23, 1872Thomas Clark Street Conservative William Alexander Thomson LiberalIncumbent's deathNo
See also List of federal by-elections in Canada
Sources Parliament of Canada–Elected in By-Elections