1898 North-West Territories general election

1898 North-West Territories general election

4 November 1898 (1898-11-04)
31 seats in the North-West Legislative Assembly
First party Second party   Leader Frederick W. A. G. Haultain Robert Brett Party Liberal-Conservative Liberal Leader since 1897 1897 Leader's seat Macleod Banff Seats won 7 2
Premier before election Frederick W. A. G. Haultain Liberal-Conservative Premier after election Frederick W. A. G. Haultain Liberal-Conservative

The 1898 North-West Territories general election took place on 4 November 1898. This was the fourth general election in the History of the North-West Territories, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories.

Frederick W. A. G. Haultain was still the first premier of the North-West Territories (NWT). That title was given by legislation passed in 1897. He was the last premier of the Northwest Territories until 1980.

There were three big issues in this election, provincial rights and how to divide the provinces.

The second issue was the transfer of education, from the federal to the territorial level, this was Haultain's personal project, unfortunately for the NWT, that power would not be turned over until 1970.

The third issue, was the territories deficit budget, the territory was facing huge pressures from a rapidly increasing population in all parts of the territory. Earlier in 1898 the territorial government tried to exert control over liquor revenue in the Klondike, since it was footing the bill for increased services and policing. The federal government however interfered and delt a huge blow, when it carved the Yukon Territory out of the North-West Territories and appointed a council loyal to the federal government to gain control.

This was the first general election in which the election was contested along party lines in the Northwest Territories. Frederick W. A. G. Haultain would sustain the governing North-West Territories Liberal-Conservative Party in coalition with James Hamilton Ross who was a member of the Hautain cabinet but a Liberal member. Robert Brett remained leader of the official opposition.

Political parties were still controversial in this election as noted in the Calgary Herald editorial from 17 November 1898 Weekly edition, that debated the pros and cons of the bringing the "Dominion party lines" to the territorial legislature.

Election results

Members of the Legislative Assembly elected

For complete electoral history, see individual districts

Electoral District	First		Second		Third		Fourth		Fifth		Incumbent
Banff		Robert Brett 181 50.28%		Arthur Sifton 179 49.72%								Robert Brett
Batoche		Charles Fisher 76 58.46%		Charles Eugene Boucher 54 41.54%								Charles Eugene Boucher
Battleford		Joseph Benjamin Prince 185 58.54%		James M. Skelton 131 41.46%								James Clinkskill
Cannington		Ewan Cameron McDiarmid 228 52.66%		Samuel Page 114 26.33%		William Hislop 91 21.02%						Samuel Page
East Calgary		Alfred Ernest Cross 182 33.21%		Simon John Clarke 127 23.18%		James Reilly 120 21.90%		Joseph Bannerman 119 21.72%				Joseph Bannerman
Edmonton		Matthew McCauley 582 48.83%		Alexander Cameron Rutherford 498 41.78%		Harry Havelock Robertson 112 9.40%						Frank Oliver
Grenfell		Richard Stuart Lake 351 69.64%		Benjamin Parkyn Richardson 153 30.36%
High River		Richard Alfred Wallace 176 38.51%		Albert Edward Banister 126 27.57%		Walter C. Skrine 114 24.95%		Alfred Wyndham 37 8.1%		Alexander Begg 4 0.88%		John Lineham
Kinistino		William Frederick Meyers 98 65.77%		Thomas Sanderson 51 34.23%								William Frederick Meyers
Lethbridge		Leverett George DeVeber Acclamation										Charles Alexander Magrath
Macleod		Frederick W. A. G. Haultain Acclamation										Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Medicine Hat		Horace Albertie Greeley 327 36.50%		William Finlay 285 31.81%		John George Calder 284 31.70%						Edward Fearon
Mitchell		Joseph Albert McIntyre 200 51.68%		Archibald Blyth Stewart 187 48.32%								Hilliard Mitchell
Moose Jaw		James Hamilton Ross Acclamation										James Hamilton Ross
Moosomin		Alexander S. Smith 614 61.03%		John Ryerson Neff 392 38.97%								John Ryerson Neff
North Qu’Appelle		Donald H. McDonald Acclamation										William Sutherland
North Regina		George W. Brown 436 68.55%		John Henry Charles Willoughby 200 31.45%								George W. Brown
Prince Albert East		Samuel McLeod 315 53.03%		John Felton Betts 279 46.97%								John Felton Betts
Prince Albert West		Thomas McKay 237 55.50%		Thomas James Agnew 190 44.50%								John Lestock Reid
Red Deer		John A. Simpson 349 46.10%		George Wellington Greene 253 33.42%		James Speakman 155 20.48%						John A. Simpson
St. Albert		Fredric Edmond Villeneuve 429 53.56%		Daniel Maloney 292 36.45%		G.W. Gardiner 80 9.99%						Daniel Maloney
Saltcoats		William Eakin 215 51.44%		James Nixon 203 48.56%								William Eakin
Souris		John Wesley Connell 424 56.16%		John Young 331 43.84%								George Knowling
South Qu’Appelle		George H. V. Bulyea 403 55.21%		William G. Vickers 327 44.79%								George H. V. Bulyea
South Regina		James B. Hawkes 273 51.03%		Jacob W. Smith 210 39.25%		William F. Eddy 52 9.72%						Daniel Mowat
Victoria		Jack Shera 242 52.27%		Frank Fraser Tims 221 47.73%								Frank Fraser Tims
West Calgary		R. B. Bennett 291 40.87%		William W. Stuart 205 28.79%		James Muir 169 23.74%		Thomas Riley 47 6.60%				Oswald Critchley
Wetaskiwin		Anthony Rosenroll Acclamation
Whitewood		Archibald Beaton Gillis Acclamation										Archibald Beaton Gillis
Wolseley		William Elliott 317 54.56%		Levi Thomson 264 45.44%								James Dill
Yorkton		Thomas Alfred Patrick Acclamation										Thomas Alfred Patrick

• Brett (Banff) was elected in a contentiously-close election, so close that a by-election had to be held, which Arthur Sifton won.

See also

• List of Northwest Territories general elections

External links

• Haultain Ross government sustained Medicine Hat News 10 November 1898
• 4th General Election Macleod Gazette 4 November 1898
• Personnel of the Territorial Assembly 1888–1905