15th New Zealand Parliament

15th Parliament of New Zealand
15th Parliament of New Zealand
Overview
Legislative body	New Zealand Parliament
Term	29 June 1903 – 30 October 1905
Election	1902 New Zealand general election
Government	Liberal Government
House of Representatives
Members	80
Speaker of the House	Arthur Guinness
Premier	Richard Seddon
Leader of the Opposition	William Massey
Legislative Council
Members	46 (at start) ; 41 (at end)
Speaker of the Council	Charles Bowen ; — Richard Reeves acting 23 March - 30 June 1905 ; — Alfred Cadman until 23 March 1905 † ; — John Rigg acting 5 January - 7 July 1904 ; — William Walker until 5 January 1904† ; — Henry Miller until 9 July 1903
Sovereign
Monarch	HM Edward VII
Governor	HE Rt. Hon. THe Lord Plunket ; — HE Rt. Hon. The Earl of Ranfurly until 20 June 1904

The 15th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1902 general election in November and December of that year.

1902 electoral redistribution

The Representation Act 1900 had increased the membership of the House of Representatives from general electorates 70 to 76, and this was implemented through the 1902 electoral redistribution. In 1902, changes to the country quota affected the three-member electorates in the four main centres. The tolerance between electorates was increased to ±1,250 so that the Representation Commissions (since 1896, there had been separate commissions for the North and South Islands) could take greater account of communities of interest. These changes proved very disruptive to existing boundaries.^[1] Six electorates were established for the first time: Courtenay, Newtown, Grey Lynn , Hurunui, Oroua, and Kaipara. Two electorates that previously existed were re-established: Mount Ida and Hutt.^[2]

This boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of three electorates:^[2]

Ashley, held by Richard Meredith
Suburbs of Wellington, held by Thomas Wilford
Waihemo, held by Thomas Mackenzie

1902 general election

The 1902 general election was held on Tuesday, 25 November in the general electorates and on Monday, 22 December in the Māori electorates, respectively.^[3] A total of 80 MPs were elected; 38 represented North Island electorates, 38 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates.^[4] 415,789 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 76.7%.^[3]

Sessions

The 15th Parliament sat for three sessions, and was prorogued on 15 November 1905.^[5]

Session	Opened	Adjourned
first	29 June 1903	24 November 1903
second	28 June 1904	8 November 1904
third	27 June 1905	31 October 1905

Ministries

The Liberal Government of New Zealand had taken office on 24 January 1891.^[6] The Seddon Ministry under Richard Seddon had taken office in 1893 during the term of the 11th Parliament.^[7] The Seddon Ministry remained in power for the whole term of this Parliament and held power until Seddon's death on 10 June 1906.^[8]

Party composition

Start of term

Party		Seats
	Liberal	47
	Conservative	19
	Independent	10
	Other	4
Source^[9]

Initial composition of the 15th Parliament

The following are the results of the 1902 general election:

Key

Liberal Conservative Independent Liberal Liberal–Labour Independent

Electorate results for the 1902 New Zealand general election^[10]^[11]
Electorate	Incumbent			Majority
General electorates
Ashburton		John McLachlan		439	John Studholme
Auckland, City of		William Joseph Napier	Alfred Kidd	934	William Richardson
		Joseph Witheford		1,515	William Joseph Napier
		George Fowlds	Frederick Baume	2,282	Arthur Rosser
Avon		William Tanner		58	John Russell Brunt
Awarua		Joseph Ward		1,882	David Whyte
Bay of Islands		Robert Houston		410	A G C Glass
Bay of Plenty		William Herries		626	D Lundon
Bruce		James Allen		1,113	J A Scott
Buller		James Colvin		2,601	Frank Isitt
Caversham		Thomas Sidey		444	William Earnshaw
Chalmers	New electorate		Edmund Allen	612	John White
Christchurch, City of		George John Smith	Tommy Taylor	899	William Whitehouse Collins
		Harry Ell		901	George John Smith
		William Whitehouse Collins	Thomas Davey	2,233	Arthur Hughes Turnbull
Clutha		James William Thomson		640	Daniel Stewart
Courtenay	New electorate		Charles Lewis	350	John Rennie
Dunedin, City of		Alfred Richard Barclay	Harry Bedford	1,321	Alfred Richard Barclay
		John A. Millar		1,321	Alfred Richard Barclay
		John A. Millar		3,775	R Chisholm
		James Arnold		3,775	R Chisholm
Eden		John Bollard		1,628	P E Cheal
Egmont		Walter Symes	William Thomas Jennings	15	Charles Leech^[12]
Ellesmere		Heaton Rhodes		501	C R Thornton
Franklin		William Massey		1,176	Alfred Richard Harris
Geraldine		Frederick Flatman		972	William Maslin
Grey		Arthur Guinness		2,145	Frank Isitt
Grey Lynn	New electorate		George Fowlds	118	T T Masefield
Hawera		Felix McGuire	Charles E. Major	21	Felix McGuire
Hawke's Bay		William Russell		1,443	Frank Isitt
Hurunui	New electorate		Andrew Rutherford	697	Henry Fear Reece
Hutt	New electorate		Thomas Wilford	441	Frederick Pirani
Invercargill		Josiah Hanan		1,508	David Whyte
Kaiapoi		David Buddo		1,256	Alfred Daniel Hassall
Kaipara	New electorate		Alfred Harding	359	John Stallworthy
Lyttelton		George Laurenson		2,172	William Rollitt
Manawatu		John Stevens	Job Vile	176	John Stevens
Manukau		Sir Maurice O'Rorke	Matthew Kirkbride	227	Sir Maurice O'Rorke
Marsden		Robert Thompson	Francis Mander	58	Robert Thompson
Masterton		Alexander Hogg		948	J C Cooper
Mataura		Robert McNab		438	J W Raymond
Motueka		Roderick McKenzie		1,838	Frank Isitt
Mount Ida	New electorate		Alexander Herdman	131	John Ewing
Napier		Alfred Fraser		1,490	Richard Joseph Eames^[13]
Nelson		John Graham		14	Harry Atmore
Newtown	New electorate		William Henry Peter Barber	28	Thomas Hislop
Oamaru		Thomas Young Duncan		880	John Marshall Brown^[14]
Ohinemuri		Jackson Palmer	Edward George Britton Moss	186	Jackson Palmer
Oroua	New electorate		Frank Lethbridge	613	Arthur Henry Tompkins
Otaki		William Hughes Field		1,510	Frank Isitt
Pahiatua		John O'Meara		337	Samuel Bolton
Palmerston		Frederick Pirani	William Thomas Wood	384	T R Hodder
Parnell		Frank Lawry		124	John Shera
Patea		Frederick Haselden	Walter Symes	451	Frederick Haselden
Rangitikei		Frank Lethbridge	Arthur Remington	247	W J Birch
Riccarton		George Warren Russell	George Witty	285	George Warren Russell
Selwyn		Charles Hardy		543	Joseph Ivess
Taieri		Walter Carncross	Donald Reid	354	J J Ramsay
Taranaki		Edward Smith		314	Henry Okey
Thames		James McGowan		885	William Henry Lucas
Timaru		William Hall-Jones		1,651	F H Smith
Tuapeka		James Bennet		66	Robert Gilkison
Waipawa		Charles Hall		1,568	James Taylor
Waikato		Frederic Lang		225	Henry Greenslade
Waikouaiti		Edmund Allen	Thomas Mackenzie	1,846	Frank Isitt
Wairarapa		J. T. Marryat Hornsby	Walter Clarke Buchanan	66	J. T. Marryat Hornsby
Wairau		Charles H. Mills		411	John Duncan
Waitaki		William Steward		592	John Campbell
Waitemata		Richard Monk	Ewen Alison	714	Alexander John Hatfield^[15]
Waiapu		James Carroll		1,670	Frank Isitt
Wakatipu		William Fraser		449	Robert Beatson Ross
Wallace		Michael Gilfedder	John Thomson	793	Michael Gilfedder
Wanganui		Archibald Willis		1,438	J W Baker
Wellington, City of		John Hutcheson	John Aitken	380	Patrick O'Regan
		Arthur Atkinson	John Duthie	591	Arthur Atkinson
		George Fisher		1,921	John Findlay
Westland		Richard Seddon		2,696	Frank Isitt
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori		Wi Pere		614	Pirimi Mataiawhea
Northern Maori		Hone Heke		1,546	Hāmiora Mangakāhia
Southern Maori		Tame Parata		80	Hone Taare Tikao
Western Maori		Henare Kaihau		2,370	Ngarangi Katitia

Changes during 15th Parliament

There were a number of changes during the term of the 15th Parliament.

By-elections

Electorate and by-election		Date	Incumbent		Cause	Winner
Pahiatua	1904	28 July		John O'Meara	Death		Bill Hawkins
City of Wellington	1905	6 April		George Fisher	Death		Frank Fisher

Defections

Name	Year	Seat
Alfred Harding	1905	Kaipara	Conservative	New Liberal
Francis Fisher	1905	City of Wellington	Independent Liberal
George Laurenson	1905	Lyttelton	Liberal
Harry Bedford	1905	City of Dunedin	Independent Liberal
Tommy Taylor	1905	City of Christchurch	Independent Liberal

Notes

References

McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

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