1st General Assembly of Newfoundland explained

1st General Assembly of Newfoundland
Foundation:1832
Disbanded:1836
Preceded By:Created
Leader1 Type:Speaker
Leader1:John Bingley Garland (1833)
Thomas Bennett (from 1834)
Election2:1832
Last Election1:1832 Newfoundland general election
Next Election1:1837 Newfoundland general election

The members of the 1st General Assembly of Newfoundland were elected in the Newfoundland general election held in November 1832, the first general election for the colony.[1] The general assembly sat from January 1, 1833 until 1836.

John Bingley Garland was chosen as speaker. Thomas Bennett replaced Garland as speaker in 1834.[2]

The first session of the general assembly met in a tavern and lodging house in St. John's operated by a Mary Travers; the elected assembly met on the ground floor and the appointed Board of Council met on the upper floor. A different location, the Old Court House, was used for the second and subsequent sessions.[3]

In 1833, the assembly passed a Revenue Bill which would provide much-needed funds to support the operation of the colony. The bill was subsequently rejected by the Legislative Council. The governor and British Government intervened in support of the legislation, which was submitted again and this time approved by the council.

Sir Thomas John Cochrane, although he had been opposed to the concept of representative government in the colony, became its first civil governor and was responsible for the implementation of the new system of government. The governor's support was required on any new legislation and he had the power to prorogue the assembly. Cochrane was removed from office in 1834[4] and replaced by Sir Henry Prescott.[5]

A Newfoundland general election was held in 1836 but the results were set aside by Chief Justice Henry John Boulton because the writs for the election did not bear the required Great Seal. A new election was called for the following year.[6]

Members of the Assembly

The following members were elected to the assembly in 1832:[7]

MemberElectoral districtAffiliation[8] [9] First elected
William BrownBonavista BayConservative1832
William HooperBurinConservative1832
Robert PackConception BayLiberal1832
Peter BrownLiberal1832
Charles CozensConservative1832
James PowerLiberal1832
Robert CarterFerrylandConservative1832
Thomas BennettFogoConservative1832
Newman Wright HoylesFortune BayConservative1832
Roger Forstall SweetmanPlacentia and St. Mary'sLiberal1832
John Wills MartinConservative1832
John KentSt. John'sLiberal1832
William ThomasConservative1832
Patrick KoughConservative1832
William CarsonLiberal1833
John Bingley GarlandTrinity BayConservative1832
William Bickford Row1833

Notes:

  1. Web site: Electoral Districts and the Vote . Memorial University . 2014-07-22 . 2015-03-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150316095516/http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/districts_vote.html . live .
  2. Web site: The Speaker of the House of Assembly . House of Assembly . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091013233930/http://www.assembly.nl.ca/members/speaker.htm . 2009-10-13 .
  3. The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly . Canadian Parliamentary Review . 2011 . 34 . 3 . 2014-07-23 . 2014-07-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140728023651/http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?param=205&art=1443 . live .
  4. Cochrane, Sir Thomas John . 4903 . 10.
  5. Prescott, Sir Henry . 5215 . 10.
  6. Web site: Government Structure, 1832–1855 . Newfoundland Heritage . Memorial University . 2014-07-23 . 2015-03-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150316095521/http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/gov_structure.html . live .
  7. Book: Journal of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland : anno tertio regis Gulielmi IV : first session of the first General Assembly . 1833 . John Shea . 2014-07-22 . 2014-08-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812102438/http://eco.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_02228_1/9 . live .
  8. Indicates political orientation rather than party membership
  9. Encyclopedia: Elections . . 681–82 . 2014-10-11 . 2014-10-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141015134619/http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns_enl/id/75 . live .

By-elections

By-elections were held to replace members for various reasons:

Electoral districtMember electedAffiliationElection dateReason
St. John'sWilliam Carson[10] liberal1833W Thomas named to Executive Council
Trinity BayWilliam Bickford Rowconservative1833JB Garland named to Executive Council

Notes:

  1. Web site: Electoral Districts and the Vote . Memorial University . 2014-07-22 . 2015-03-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150316095516/http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/districts_vote.html . live .
  2. Web site: The Speaker of the House of Assembly . House of Assembly . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091013233930/http://www.assembly.nl.ca/members/speaker.htm . 2009-10-13 .
  3. The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly . Canadian Parliamentary Review . 2011 . 34 . 3 . 2014-07-23 . 2014-07-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140728023651/http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?param=205&art=1443 . live .
  4. Cochrane, Sir Thomas John . 4903 . 10.
  5. Prescott, Sir Henry . 5215 . 10.
  6. Web site: Government Structure, 1832–1855 . Newfoundland Heritage . Memorial University . 2014-07-23 . 2015-03-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150316095521/http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/gov_structure.html . live .
  7. Book: Journal of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland : anno tertio regis Gulielmi IV : first session of the first General Assembly . 1833 . John Shea . 2014-07-22 . 2014-08-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812102438/http://eco.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_02228_1/9 . live .
  8. Indicates political orientation rather than party membership
  9. Encyclopedia: Elections . . 681–82 . 2014-10-11 . 2014-10-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141015134619/http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns_enl/id/75 . live .
  10. Acclaimed