1879 Ontario general election
← 1875 June 5, 1879 1883 →
88 seats in the 4th 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 50 34
Seats won 57 29
Seat change Increase7 Decrease5
Premier before election

Oliver Mowat
Liberal

Premier after election

Oliver Mowat
Liberal

The 1879 Ontario general election was the fourth general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 5, 1879, to elect the 88 members of the 4th Legislative Assembly ("MLAs").[1]

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Oliver Mowat, won a third term in government with a larger majority in the legislature.

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by William Ralph Meredith, continued to lose seats.

Results

Elections to the 4th Parliament of Ontario (1879)[1]
Political party Party leader MLAs Votes
Candidates 1875 1879 ± # ± % ± (pp)
Liberal Oliver Mowat 81 50 57 7Increase 119,148 28,339Increase 48.07% 0.52Increase
Conservative William Ralph Meredith 87 34 29 5Decrease 118,513 31,693Increase 47.82% 2.35Increase
Liberal–Conservative – 1 – 1Decrease – 1,553Decrease – 0.81Decrease
Independent Conservative 2 2 2 Steady 2,111 18Decrease 0.85% 0.26Decrease
Independent Liberal – 1 – 1Decrease – 1,125Decrease – 0.59Decrease
Independent 19 – – – 8,085 1,328Increase 3.26% 0.28Decrease
Total 189 88 88 247,857 100.00%
Voter turnout 247,857 56,891Increase 67.95 4.06Decrease
Registered electors 392,085 108,229Increase
Acclamations █ Liberal 1
█ Conservative 1
Seats and popular vote by party
Party Seats Votes Change (pp)
█ Liberal
57 / 88
48.07%
 0.52 0.52
 
█ Conservative
29 / 88
47.82%
 2.35 2.35
 
█ Other
2 / 88
4.11%
 -2.87
 

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1879 Ontario general election[1]
Riding Winning party Turnout Votes
Name[a 1] 1875 Party Votes Share Margin
# 		Margin
% 		Lib Con I-Con Ind Total
 
Addington Lib Lib 1,531 50.75% 45 1.49% 66.76% 1,531 1,486 – – 3,017
Algoma Lib Lib 1,081 53.86% 155 7.72% 96.58% 1,081 926 – – 2,007
Brant North Lib Lib 990 60.37% 340 20.73% 66.80% 990 650 – – 1,640
Brant South Lib Lib 1,622 56.87% 392 13.74% 60.93% 1,622 1,230 – – 2,852
Brockville Lib Lib 1,379 52.14% 113 4.27% 60.33% 1,379 1,266 – – 2,645
Bruce North Lib Lib 1,686 56.77% 402 13.54% 63.41% 1,686 1,284 – – 2,970
Bruce South Lib Lib 2,866 50.62% 70 1.24% 72.67% 2,866 2,796 – – 5,662
Cardwell Con Lib 1,261 50.60% 30 1.20% 70.94% 1,261 1,231 – – 2,492
Carleton Con Con 2,074 79.74% 1,547 59.48% 55.47% 527 2,074 – – 2,601
Cornwall Con Lib acclaimed
Dufferin Con Con 1,357 55.32% 261 10.64% 58.18% – 1,357 – 1,096 2,453
Dundas Con Con 1,674 51.24% 81 2.48% 77.29% 1,593 1,674 – – 3,267
Durham East Con Con 1,292 52.33% 200 8.10% 55.58% – 1,292 – 1,177 2,469
Durham West Lib Lib 1,467 52.66% 148 5.31% 72.89% 1,467 1,319 – – 2,786
Elgin East Lib Lib 2,275 51.49% 132 2.99% 66.71% 2,275 2,143 – – 4,418
Elgin West Con Lib 1,257 50.22% 11 0.44% 70.27% 1,257 1,246 – – 2,503
Essex North Con Con 1,062 56.04% 229 12.08% 42.68% 833 1,062 – – 1,895
Essex South Con Con 1,418 52.93% 157 5.86% 74.29% 1,261 1,418 – – 2,679
Frontenac Con Con 710 45.57% 204 13.09% 55.86% 506 710 – 342 1,558
Glengarry I-Lib Con 1,331 50.78% 41 1.56% 74.31% 1,290 1,331 – – 2,621
Grenville South Lib Con 1,205 53.01% 137 6.03% 70.20% 1,068 1,205 – – 2,273
Grey East Con Con 1,294 55.70% 566 24.37% 49.64% – 1,595[a 2] – 728 2,323
Grey North Con Con 1,660 50.27% 18 0.55% 60.98% 1,642 1,660 – – 3,302
Grey South Lib Lib 1,694 61.49% 633 22.98% 73.72% 1,694 1,061 – – 2,755
Haldimand Lib Lib 1,612 51.01% 64 2.03% 76.44% 1,612 1,548 – – 3,160
Halton Lib Lib 1,765 50.46% 32 0.91% 66.63% 1,765 1,733 – – 3,498
Hamilton Lib Lib 2,240 50.70% 62 1.40% 59.07% 2,240 2,178 – – 4,418
Hastings East I-Con I-Con 1,204 51.52% 71 3.04% 67.82% – 1,133 1,204 – 2,337
Hastings North Con Con 1,081 51.35% 57 2.71% 63.27% – 1,081 – 1,024 2,105
Hastings West Con Con 1,402 56.60% 327 13.20% 68.92% 1,075 1,402 – – 2,477
Huron East Lib Lib 1,924 50.74% 56 1.48% 68.76% 1,924 1,868 – – 3,792
Huron South Lib Lib 1,893 52.21% 160 4.41% 70.75% 1,893 1,733 – – 3,626
Huron West Lib Lib 2,064 55.57% 414 11.15% 62.70% 2,064 1,650 – – 3,714
Kent East Lib Lib 1,774 54.91% 317 9.81% 58.60% 1,774 1,457 – – 3,231
Kent West Con Lib 1,343 52.69% 137 5.37% 46.87% 1,343 1,206 – – 2,549
Kingston Con Con 955 55.82% 199 11.63% 59.53% 756 955 – – 1,711
Lambton East Lib Lib 1,840 50.88% 64 1.77% 73.23% 1,840 1,776 – – 3,616
Lambton West Lib Lib 1,759 53.47% 228 6.93% 63.24% 1,759 1,531 – – 3,290
Lanark North Con Lib 1,309 56.04% 282 12.07% 73.44% 1,309 1,027 – – 2,336
Lanark South Con I-Con 907 49.64% 53 2.90% 56.60% – 854 907 66 1,827
Leeds North and Grenville North Con Con 1,084 59.53% 347 19.06% 64.90% 737 1,084 – – 1,821
Leeds South Con Con 1,362 56.92% 331 13.83% 57.41% – 1,362 – 1,031 2,393
Lennox I-Con Lib 1,231 50.20% 10 0.41% 62.71% 1,231 1,221 – – 2,452
Lincoln Lib Lib 2,222 50.79% 69 1.58% 68.25% 2,222 2,153 – – 4,375
London Con Con 1,578 58.25% 447 16.50% 55.24% 1,131 1,578 – – 2,709
Middlesex East Con Con 2,546 51.86% 183 3.73% 66.82% 2,363 2,546 – – 4,909
Middlesex North Con Lib 1,917 53.22% 232 6.44% 72.87% 1,917 1,685 – – 3,602
Middlesex West Lib Lib 1,575 50.82% 51 1.65% 69.80% 1,575 1,524 – – 3,099
Monck Lib Lib 1,486 52.64% 149 5.28% 81.42% 1,486 1,337 – – 2,823
Muskoka and Parry Sound Lib Lib 1,704 57.98% 469 15.96% 74.90% 1,704 1,235 – – 2,939
Norfolk North Lib Lib 1,490 52.12% 121 4.23% 71.55% 1,490 1,369 – – 2,859
Norfolk South Con Con 1,386 50.36% 20 0.73% 76.23% 1,366 1,386 – – 2,752
Northumberland East Lib Lib 1,887 50.64% 48 1.29% 71.32% 1,887 1,839 – – 3,726
Northumberland West Lib Lib 1,333 50.40% 21 0.79% 65.54% 1,333 1,312 – – 2,645
Ontario North Lib Lib 2,244 52.21% 190 4.42% 63.85% 2,244 2,054 – – 4,298
Ontario South Con Lib 1,721 56.24% 382 12.48% 60.59% 1,721 1,339 – – 3,060
Ottawa Lib Con 1,064 39.72% 64 2.39% 47.99% 606 1,064 – 1,009 2,679
Oxford North Lib Lib 1,731 75.10% 1,157 50.20% 41.71% 1,731 574 – – 2,305
Oxford South Lib Lib 1,775 66.73% 940 35.34% 48.33% 1,775 – – 885 2,660
Peel Lib Lib 1,519 52.69% 155 5.38% 76.09% 1,519 1,364 – – 2,883
Perth North Lib Lib 2,396 50.18% 17 0.36% 67.44% 2,396 2,379 – – 4,775
Perth South Lib Lib 1,759 55.00% 320 10.01% 65.67% 1,759 1,439 – – 3,198
Peterborough East Con Lib 1,078 53.21% 130 6.42% 65.38% 1,078 948 – – 2,026
Peterborough West Lib Con 1,130 52.68% 252 11.75% 55.99% 878 1,130 – 137 2,145
Prescott Con Con 900 47.62% 278 14.71% 58.77% 622 900 – 368 1,890
Prince Edward Lib Lib 1,894 50.47% 35 0.93% 73.78% 1,894 1,859 – – 3,753
Renfrew North Con Lib 1,066 52.56% 104 5.13% 72.07% 1,066 962 – – 2,028
Renfrew South Lib Lib 837 54.28% 132 8.56% 67.72% 837 705 – – 1,542
Russell Con Lib 696 37.30% 27 1.45% 38.86% 975 669 – 222 1,866
Simcoe East Con Lib 1,324 56.82% 318 13.65% 61.72% 1,324 1,006 – – 2,330
Simcoe South Con Con acclaimed
Simcoe West Con Con 1,483 51.10% 64 2.21% 55.06% 1,419 1,483 – – 2,902
Stormont Lib Con 950 50.29% 11 0.58% 71.47% 939 950 – – 1,889
Toronto East Con Con 2,132 50.68% 57 1.35% 51.12% 2,075 2,132 – – 4,207
Toronto West Con Con 2,324 50.74% 68 1.48% 45.24% 2,256 2,324 – – 4,580
Victoria North Lib Lib 1,217 56.34% 274 12.69% 65.04% 1,217 943 – – 2,160
Victoria South Lib Lib 1,644 51.81% 115 3.62% 68.27% 1,644 1,529 – – 3,173
Waterloo North Lib Lib 1,351 53.29% 167 6.59% 71.37% 1,351 1,184 – – 2,535
Waterloo South Lib Lib 1,699 57.38% 437 14.76% 72.06% 1,699 1,262 – – 2,961
Welland Lib Con 1,966 50.97% 75 1.94% 66.49% 1,891 1,966 – – 3,857
Wellington Centre Lib Lib 1,405 65.35% 660 30.70% 50.05% 1,405 745 – – 2,150
Wellington South Lib Lib 1,430 52.15% 118 4.30% 65.83% 1,430 1,312 – – 2,742
Wellington West L-Con Lib 2,026 56.00% 434 12.00% 64.61% 2,026 1,592 – – 3,618
Wentworth North Con Lib 1,223 85.41% 1,014 70.81% 38.23% 1,223 209 – – 1,432
Wentworth South Lib Con 1,231 50.02% 1 0.04% 66.19% 1,230 1,231 – – 2,461
York East Lib Lib 1,825 53.58% 244 7.16% 58.93% 1,825 1,581 – – 3,406
York North Lib Lib 2,200 56.54% 509 13.08% 68.77% 2,200 1,691 – – 3,891
York West Lib Lib 1,268 51.21% 60 2.42% 63.16% 1,268 1,208 – – 2,476
  1. ^ order is as given in EO reports
  2. ^ the incumbent Abram William Lauder was reelected
  = 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
  = other incumbents renominated
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = multiple candidates

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place[1]
Party in 1st place Party in 2nd place Total
Accl Lib Con Ind
Liberal 1 55 1 57
Conservative 1 22 6 29
Independent Conservative 2
Total 22 57 7 88
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party[1]
Parties Accl 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
█ Liberal 1 56 22 2
█ Conservative 1 28 57 1
█ Independent Conservative 2
█ Independent 7 6 5 1
Resulting composition of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario[1]
Source Party
Lib Con I-Con Total
Seats retained Incumbents returned 30 17 1 48
Returned by acclamation 1 1
Open seats held 13 3 16
Ouster of incumbent changing allegiance 1 1
Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated 8 3 11
Open seats gained 4 3 1 8
Byelection gains held 2 1 3
Total 57 29 2 88

MLAs elected by region and riding

Party designations are as follows:

  Liberal
  Conservative
  Independent Conservative

See also

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ Overturned on petition to the court, because of ballot papers improperly rejected.[2] Adam Jacob Baker (Conservative) was declared elected.[3]
  2. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued.[3] Kerr was returned in the subsequent byelection.
  3. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued.[3] Robertson was returned in the subsequent byelection.
  4. ^ Overturned on petition to the court. Nicholas Awrey (Liberal) was declared elected.[3]
  5. ^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued,[3] but Barr would decline to stand for reelection. William Jelly would succeed in the ensuing race.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "1879 general election results". Elections Ontario. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "Sessional Paper No. 19". List of Sessional Papers (Vol. XII Part III). Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1880. pp. 53–54.
  3. ^ a b c d e Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1880. pp. 7–10.


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