1856 Northumberland Boroughs colonial election re-count

In August 1856 the Committee of Elections and Qualifications conducted a re-count of the 1856 election for the district of Northumberland Boroughs, in which Bourn Russell had been declared elected by a margin of 8 votes over Elias Weekes.[1]

The returning officer was Isaac Gorrick who was a friend of Bourn Russell. The nomination of Russell was moved by Edward Close and seconded by John Kingsmill.[2] Once a poll was called for, Gorrick appointed Close and Kingsmill as deputy returning officers.[3] In January Close had also chaired a meeting at Morpeth where Weekes had addressed the voters.[4][5]

William Christie lodged a petition with a £100 deposit, against the election alleging that more than 20 people who were unqualified to vote had voted for Russell. This was not a secret ballot and voters were required to write their name and address on the ballot paper.[6] Christie subsequently published a list of the 21 people whose votes had been struck off.[7] Because the committee was able to identify the ballot papers for people who were unable to vote, they recounted the eligible votes and declared that Elias Weekes had been elected.[6]

Dates
DateEvent
26 March 1856 Nominations for Northumberland Boroughs.[2]
28 March 1856 1856 Northumberland Boroughs election
9 April 1856 Elias Weekes elected at the election for Cumberland (South Riding)
22 May 1856 Members of parliament sworn in, Bourn Russell as a member for Northumberland Boroughs, Elias Weekes as a member for Cumberland (South Riding)
19 April 1894 Petition lodged by William Christie.[8]
23 May 1856 Committee of Elections and Qualifications appointed
29 May 1856 Petition referred to the Committee of Elections and Qualifications.
24 June 1856 Committee of Elections and Qualifications declared that Elias Weekes had been elected.[9][10]
5 August 1856 Next sitting day of the Legislative Assembly and the report of the Committee of Elections and Qualifications was printed.[11]

Result
1856 Northumberland Boroughs election re-count
Tuesday 5 August [6]
Candidate Votes %
Elias Weekes (elected) 511 30.7
Bourn Russell (defeated) 500 29.9
Total formal votes 1,671 100.0
Informal votes 0 0.0
Turnout 1,011 61.1

See also

References
  1. Green, Antony. "1856 Northumberland Boroughs". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  2. "Representation of the Northumberland Boroughs". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 March 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  3. "The late election". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 26 July 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  4. "Northumberland Boroughs: Mr Weekes at Morpeth". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 23 January 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  5. Close, Edward (29 July 1856). "To the editors of the Maitland Mercury". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  6. Green, Antony. "1856 Northumberland Boroughs re-count". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  7. "The petition against Mr Russell: to the independent electors of the Northumberland Boroughs". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 24 July 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  8. "Northumberland Boroughs petition". New South Wales Government Gazette (64). 29 April 1856. p. 1257. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  9. "The Northumberland Boroughs election". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 26 June 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  10. "Report from the Committee of Elections and Qualifications, in the matter of the petition against the election and return of Bourn Russell Esq". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 16 August 1856. p. 6 (Supplement to the Maitland Mercury). Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
  11. "Committee of Elections and Qualifications". The Empire. 6 August 1856. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via Trove.
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