By-elections to the 1st Canadian Parliament were held to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada between the 1867 federal election and the 1872 federal election. The Conservative Party of Canada held a majority government throughout the term of the 1st Canadian Parliament. From 1867 to 1871, there were thirty-seven by-elections: seventeen in Quebec, nine in Ontario, seven in Nova Scotia, and four in New Brunswick, plus by-elections held in Manitoba and British Columbia to fill new seats in those provinces.
The list includes Ministerial by-elections which occurred due to the requirement, at the time, that Members of Parliament recontest their seats upon being appointed to Cabinet. These by-elections were almost always uncontested. This requirement was abolished in 1931.
By-elections were held for the new provinces of Manitoba and British Columbia, which joined Confederation in 1870 and 1871. These were new elections, to fill the positions created by the terms of union for each of the new provinces. Six members were elected in British Columbia, in five ridings (Victoria had two seats). Although there were four seats in Manitoba, only three members were elected, because a tie was declared in one riding. The outcome of the disputed election was not resolved prior to the 1872 election, so neither candidate was allowed to take the seat in the House of Commons.
===By-elections, 1867 to 1871===
New Brunswick Date Riding Incumbent Party Elected Party Reason for by-election March 13, 1868 Restigouche John McMillan Liberal William Murray Caldwell Liberal McMillan appointed Inspector of Post Offices in New Brunswick, February 15, 1868 October 28, 1868 York Charles Fisher Liberal John Pickard Independent Liberal Fisher appointed to New Brunswick Supreme Court, October 3, 1868 December 24, 1868 Northumberland John Mercer Johnson Liberal Richard Hutchison Liberal Johnson's death, November 8, 1868 November 29, 1870 Restigouche William Murray Caldwell Liberal George Moffat, Sr. Conservative Caldwell appointed inspector of post offices in New Brunswick, September 29, 1870
Nova Scotia Date Riding Incumbent Party Elected Party Reason for by-election April 20, 1869 Richmond William Joseph Croke Anti-Confederate Isaac LeVesconteConservative Croke's death, March 11, 1869 April 20, 1869 Yarmouth Thomas Killam Anti-Confederate Frank Killam Liberal Thomas Killam's death, December 15, 1868 April 24, 1869 Hants Joseph Howe Anti-Confederate Joseph Howe Liberal-Conservative Ministerial by-election upon Howe's appointment as President of the Privy Council, January 30, 1869 September 9, 1869 Colchester Archibald McLelan Anti-Confederate Adams George Archibald Liberal-Conservative McLelan called to the Senate, June 21, 1869 June 15, 1870 Cumberland Charles Tupper Conservative Charles Tupper Conservative Ministerial by-election upon Tupper's appointment as President of the Privy Council June 23, 1870 Kings William Henry Chipman Anti-Confederate Leverett de Veber Chipman Liberal William Chipman's death, April 10, 1870 November 8, 1870 Colchester Adams George Archibald Liberal-Conservative Frederick M. Pearson Liberal Archibald appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba and Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories, May 20, 1870
Ontario Date Riding Incumbent Party Elected Party Reason for by-election April 13, 1868 Lincoln James Rea Benson Liberal-Conservative Thomas Rodman Merritt Liberal Benson called to the Senate, March 14, 1868 August 14, 1868 York West William Pearce Howland Liberal-Conservative Amos Wright Liberal Howland appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, July 15, 1868 July 12, 1869 Wellington Centre Thomas Sutherland Parker Liberal James Ross Liberal Parker's death, October 24, 1868 November 13, 1869 Renfrew North John Rankin Liberal-Conservative Francis Hincks Conservative Rankin resigned to provide a seat for Hincks, October 12, 1869 November 29, 1869 Renfrew South Daniel McLachlin Liberal John Lorn McDougall Liberal McLachlin resigned June 3, 1869, taking retirement November 29, 1869 Lanark South Alexander Morris Conservative Alexander Morris Conservative Ministerial by-election upon Morris's appointment as Minister of Inland Revenue, November 15, 1869 April 27, 1870 Frontenac Thomas Kirkpatrick Conservative George Airey Kirkpatrick Conservative Kirkpatrick's death, March 26, 1870 March 20, 1871 Hastings East Robert Read Conservative John White Conservative Read called to the Senate, February 24, 1871 June 30, 1871 Algoma Wemyss Mackenzie Simpson Conservative Frederick William Cumberland Conservative Simpson appointed Indian Commissioner for Rupert's Land, April 26, 1871
Quebec Date Riding Incumbent Party Elected Party Reason for by-election November 28, 1867 Huntingdon Sir John Rose Liberal-Conservative Sir John Rose Liberal-Conservative Ministerial by-election upon Rose's appointment as Minister of Finance, November 18, 1867 December 11, 1867 Montmorency Joseph-Édouard Cauchon Conservative Jean Langlois Conservative Cauchon called to the Senate, November 2, 1867 April 20, 1868 Montreal West Thomas D'Arcy McGee Liberal-Conservative Michael Patrick Ryan Liberal-Conservative McGee assassinated, April 7, 1868 October 17, 1868 Three Rivers Louis-Charles Boucher de Niverville Conservative William McDougall Conservative Boucher de Niverville appointed sheriff for the district of Trois-Rivières, September 30, 1868 October 30, 1868 Saint Maurice Louis-Léon Lesieur Desaulniers Conservative Élie Lacerte Conservative Desaulniers appointed inspector of prisons and asylums in Quebec, September 29, 1868 February 17, 1869 Kamouraska Vacant Charles Alphonse Pantaléon Pelletier LiberalNo election held in 1867 due to riots July 14, 1869 L'Islet Barthélemy Pouliot Conservative Barthélemy Pouliot Conservative Previous election annulled, June 9, 1869 October 30, 1869 Huntingdon Sir John Rose Liberal-Conservative Julius Scriver Liberal Rose resigned September 29, 1869 and moved to London where he acted as the government's representative to the UK. November 29, 1869 Brome Christopher Dunkin Conservative Christopher Dunkin Conservative Ministerial by-election upon Dunkin's appointment as Minister of Agriculture, November 15, 1869 July 5, 1870 Missisquoi Brown Chamberlin Conservative George Barnard Baker Liberal-Conservative Chamberlin resigned on appointment as Queen's Printer, June 6, 1870 July 18, 1870 Quebec East Pierre-Gabriel Huot Liberal Adolphe Guillet dit Tourangeau Conservative Huot resigned on appointment as postmaster at Quebec, June 14, 1870 August 15, 1870 Bellechasse Louis-Napoléon Casault Conservative Télesphore Fournier Liberal Casault resigned on appointment to the Superior Court of Quebec, May 26, 1870 September 1, 1870 St. Hyacinthe Alexandre-Édouard Kierzkowski Liberal Louis Delorme Liberal Kierzkowski's death, August 4, 1870November 18, 1870 Richelieu Thomas McCarthy Conservative Georges Isidore Barthe Independent Conservative McCarthy's death, September 23, 1870 September 15, 1871 Montcalm Joseph Dufresne Conservative Firmin Dugas Conservative Dufresne was appointed Sheriff of Saint-Jean County, July 13, 1871 November 11, 1871 Compton John Henry Pope Conservative John Henry Pope Conservative Ministerial by-election upon appointment as Minister of Agriculture, October 25, 1871 November 17, 1871 Brome Christopher Dunkin Conservative Edward Carter Conservative Dunkin resigned on appointment to the Superior Court of Quebec, October 24, 1871==New elections==
Manitoba 1870 Date District Elected Party March 2, 1871 Lisgar John Christian Schultz Independent Liberal March 2, 1871 MarquetteJames S. Lynch and Angus McKay Lynch (Liberal) and McKay (Conservative) were both declared elected due to a tie vote. Neither one took the seat in the Commons. The issue was not determined prior to the 1872 federal election. March 2, 1871 SelkirkDonald Alexander Smith Independent Conservative March 3, 1871ProvencherPierre Delorme Conservative
British Columbia 1871 Date District Elected Party November 24, 1871Victoria (two members) Henry Nathan, Jr. Liberal Amor De Cosmos Liberal December 13, 1871 New Westminster Hugh Nelson Liberal-Conservative December 15, 1871 Vancouver Island Robert Wallace Conservative December 19, 1871 Cariboo Joshua Spencer Thompson Liberal-Conservative December 19, 1871 Yale District Charles Frederick Houghton Liberal
See also List of federal by-elections in Canada
References
Sources Parliament of Canada–Elected in By-Elections