1885 Bruce by-election

The 1885 Bruce by-election was a by-election held on 5 August 1885 in the Bruce electorate during the 9th New Zealand Parliament.

The by-election was held after the resignation of Robert Gillies for health reasons. He had won the seat at the general 1884 election.

He was replaced by Donald Reid.

The runner-up James McDonald had represented Bruce up to the 1884 election. A former representative of the Bruce electorate, William Murray, was invited to contest the by-election but he declined.[1]

J. C. Anderson was born in Bruce and had farmed there for thirteen years.[2]

William Hutchison wrote that he had "many pleasant memories" of the electorate [3] but another correspondent said it was a "very palpable defeat" and denied that the Kaitangata miners were told how to vote. [4]

Results

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The following table gives the election result:

1885 Bruce by-election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Donald Reid 336 31.61
Independent James McDonald 327 30.76
Independent J. C. Anderson 303 28.50
Independent William Hutchison 97 9.13
Majority 9 0.85
Turnout 1063

References

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  1. ^ "The Oamaru Mail". Vol. X, no. 3007. 3 August 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2020 – via Papers Past.
  2. ^ "Bruce Election". Clutha Leader. 31 July 1885 – via Papers Past.
  3. ^ "Random Notes". Clutha Leader. 14 August 1885 – via Papers Past.
  4. ^ "Random Notes". Clutha Leader. 21 August 1885 – via Papers Past.
  5. ^ "Bruce Election". Otago Daily Times. 6 August 1885.