3rd Parliament of Ontario


The 3rd Parliament of Ontario was in session from 18 January 1875 until 25 April 1879, following the 1875 general election in which the Liberal Party was returned as the majority party. Oliver Mowat was again the province's Premier.
The Ontario Liquor Licence Act, 1876, which transferred control of licenses for the sale of alcohol from individual municipalities to commissioners appointed by the province, was passed.
Rupert Mearse Wells served as speaker for the assembly.

Members of the Legislature

RidingMemberPartyComments
AddingtonHammel Madden DerocheLiberal
AlgomaSimon James DawsonLiberalMember until 26 August 1878. Resigned to enter federal politics.
Robert Adam LyonLiberalWon byelection, was member from 16 September 1878.
BrantHugh FinlaysonLiberal
Brant SouthArthur Sturgis HardyLiberal
BrockvilleWilmot Howard ColeLiberal
Bruce NorthDonald SinclairLiberal
Bruce SouthRupert Mearse WellsLiberal
CardwellJohn FlesherConservative
CarletonGeorge William MonkConservative
CornwallAlexander Fraser McIntyreConservativeServed 18 January 1875 – 18 June 1875. Election disqualified on 8 June 1875
John Goodall SnetsingerLiberalDefeated McIntyre in byelection 17 July 1875 and served to end of Parliament session.
DufferinJohn BarrConservative
DundasAndrew BroderConservative
Durham EastJohn RosevearConservative
Durham WestJohn McLeodLiberal
Elgin EastJohn Henry WilsonLiberal
Elgin WestM.G. MunroeConservativeMember until June 1875 when he was unseated in election trial.
Thomas HodginsLiberalAs opponent of Munroe, he won the seat upon conclusion of an election trial. Resigned in 1878 to become a candidate for federal politics.
David McLawsLiberalWon byelection and served from September 1878 until end of Parliament session.
Essex NorthJames Colebrooke PattersonConservativeMember until September 1878 when he resigned to enter federal politics.
Solomon WhiteConservativeWon byelection and was member after September 1878.
Essex SouthLewis WigleConservative
FrontenacPeter GrahamConservativeDied in office in January 1877.
Delino Dexter CalvinConservativeWon byelection in 1877 and served to end of Parliament session.
GlengarryAlexander James GrantIndependent-Liberal
Grenville SouthChristopher Finlay FraserLiberal
Grey NorthThomas ScottConservativeDisqualified in September 1875.
David CreightonConservativeWon byelection and was member from 1 November 1875.
Grey EastAbram William LauderConservative
Grey SouthJames Hill HunterLiberal
HaldimandJacob BaxterLiberal
HaltonWilliam BarberLiberalMember until 30 June 1875 after he was unseated in election trial.
William Durie LyonLiberalWon byelection and was member from 15 November 1875 until end of Parliament session.
HamiltonJames Miller WilliamsLiberal
Hastings EastNathaniel Stephen ApplebyIndependent-Conservative
Hastings NorthGeorge Henry BoulterConservative
Hastings WestThomas WillsConservative
Huron EastThomas GibsonLiberal
Huron SouthArchibald BishopLiberal
Huron WestAlexander McLagan RossLiberal
Kent EastArchibald McKellarLiberalMember until 25 July 1875 when he retired from politics.
Daniel McCraneyLiberalWon byelection in 1875 and was member until end of Parliament session.
Kent WestAlexander CouttsConservative
KingstonWilliam RobinsonConservative
Lambton EastPeter GrahamLiberal
Lambton WestTimothy Blair PardeeLiberal
Lanark NorthWilliam MostynConservative
Lanark SouthAbraham CodeConservative
Leeds North and Grenville NorthHenry MerrickConservative
Leeds SouthRobert Henry PrestonConservative
LennoxJohn Thomas GrangeConservative
LincolnSylvester NeelonLiberal
LondonWilliam Ralph MeredithConservative
Middlesex EastRichard TooleyConservative
Middlesex NorthJohn McDougallConservative
Middlesex WestJohn WatterworthLiberal
MonckHenry Ryan HaneyLiberalMember until 18 November 1878, having died in office.
Richard HarcourtLiberalWon byelection and was in the Legislature as of January 1879 until the end of the Parliament session.
Muskoka and Parry SoundJohn Classon MillerLiberal
Norfolk NorthJohn Fitzgerald ClarkeLiberal
Norfolk SouthRichard RichardsonConservative
Northumberland EastJames Marshall FerrisLiberal
Northumberland WestWilliam HargraftLiberal
Ontario NorthThomas PaxtonLiberal
Ontario SouthNicholas W. BrownConservative
OttawaDaniel John O'DonoghueLiberal
Oxford NorthOliver MowatLiberal
Oxford SouthAdam OliverLiberalMember until 15 July 1875 after he was unseated by election trial.
Adam CrooksLiberalWon byelection in 1875 and was in the Legislature as of December 1875. He served until the end of the Parliament session.
PeelKenneth ChisholmLiberal
Perth NorthDavid Davidson HayLiberal
Perth SouthThomas BallantyneLiberal
Peterborough EastJohn C. O'SullivanConservativeAlthough unseated by election trial on 2 August 1875, he retained this riding.
Peterborough WestGeorge Albertus CoxLiberalUnseated in election trial 2 August 1875.
William Hepburn ScottConservativeWon byelection and was member from December 1875.
PrescottWilliam HarkinConservative
Prince EdwardGideon StrikerLiberal
Renfrew NorthThomas DeaconConservative
Renfrew SouthJames BonfieldLiberal
RussellAdam Jacob BakerConservative
Simcoe EastJohn KeanConservative
Simcoe SouthD'Arcy Edward BoultonConservativeDied in office 16 February 1875.
William McDougallIndependent-LiberalWon byelection and was member from 1 June 1875 to 9 September 1878. Resigned early to seek seat in federal House of Commons.
William James ParkhillConservativeWon by-election and was member from 1 October 1878.
Simcoe WestThomas LongConservative
StormontJames BethuneLiberal
Toronto EastMatthew Crooks CameronConservativeWas member until 9 January 1879 when he retired from politics.
Alexander MorrisConservativeWon byelection and was member from January 1879 until the end of Parliament session.
Toronto WestRobert BellConservative
Victoria NorthJohn David SmithLiberalWas member until 27 August 1875, after being unseated in election trial.
Duncan McRaeConservativeWon byelection.
Victoria SouthSamuel Casey WoodLiberalRetained seat in August 1875 byelection.
Waterloo NorthMoses SpringerLiberal
Waterloo SouthJohn FlemingLiberalDied in office 21 January 1877.
Isaac MasterLiberalWon byelection after recount and was member from March 1877.
WellandJames George CurrieLiberal
Wellington CentreCharles ClarkeLiberal
Wellington SouthPeter GowLiberalMember until 1876 when he resigned.
James MassieLiberalWon byelection and was in the Legislature as of January 1877 until the end of the Parliament session.
Wellington WestJohn McGowanLiberal-Conservative
Wentworth NorthThomas StockConservativeDisqualified in September 1875. Was Conservative member until 30 June 1875.
James McMahonLiberalWon byelection and was in the Legislature as of December 1875 until the end of the Parliament session.
Wentworth SouthWilliam SextonLiberal
York EastJohn LaneLiberal
York NorthJoseph Henry WiddifieldLiberal
York WestPeter PattersonLiberal

Election trials

The early months of this Parliament were marred by election trials in many
ridings. Most of these cases challenged the validity of the election results
on such charges as bribery or corruption. A common accusation was that of
"treating", where candidates or their agents would buy potential electors
alcohol or other favours.
The following ridings and candidates were affected:
RidingOriginal CandidateComment
CardwellFlesherRetained seat.
CornwallMcIntyreUnseated - election voided 8 June 1875, then defeated by Snetsinger in byelection.
DundasBroderRetained seat.
Elgin EastWilsonRetained seat - charges dropped 13 May 1875.
Essex SouthWigleRetained seat - originally unseated, but appealed.
Elgin WestM.G. MunroeUnseated - Hodgins declared the proper member of Legislature after 16 votes declared invalid, leaving Hodgins with a majority of 6 votes.
Grey NorthScottUnseated - original petition dismissed, but reversed on appeal, therefore Scott disqualified. 8-year ban from office.
Grey SouthHunterRetained seat - charges dismissed 2 July 1875.
HaltonBarberUnseated.
Hastings WestWillsRetained seat - charges dismissed.
LincolnNeelonRetained seat - initially unseated, but regained seat.
LondonMeredithRetained seat.
Middlesex NorthMcDougallRetained seat - charges dismissed.
MonckHaneyRetained seat - election initially voided, byelection called which Haney won.
MuskokaMillerRetained seat - initially unseated, but appeals on some aspects of the election trial were still in progress through November 1875.
Northumberland EastFerrisRetained seat.
Ontario NorthPaxtonRetained seat - charges dismissed, upheld on appeal, although the original election was still void and required byelection.
Ontario SouthBrownRetained seat - charges dismissed, case appealed, seat retained.
Oxford SouthOliverUnseated - lost byelection 25 August 1875
PeelChisholmRetained seat.
Perth NorthHayRetained seat.
Peterborough EastO'SullivanRetained seat - although initially unseated in election trial on 2 August 1875.
Peterborough WestCoxUnseated - 2 August 1875.
RussellBakerRetained seat - charges dismissed, byelection called in which Russell won.
Simcoe EastKeanRetained seat.
Simcoe WestLongRetained seat.
Toronto EastCameronRetained seat.
Toronto WestBellRetained seat.
Victoria NorthSmithUnseated.
WellandCurrieRetained seat - Currie won byelection.
Wellington WestMcGowanUnseated - byelection called, McGowan regained seat.
Wentworth NorthStockUnseated - 8-year ban from office.

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