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5th General Assembly of Newfoundland

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5th General Assembly of Newfoundland
Colonial Building seat of the Newfoundland government and the House of Assembly from January 28, 1850 to July 28, 1959.
History
Founded1853
Disbanded1855
Preceded by4th General Assembly of Newfoundland
Succeeded by6th General Assembly of Newfoundland
Leadership
Elections
Last election
1852 Newfoundland general election

The members of the 5th General Assembly of Newfoundland were elected in the Newfoundland general election held in 1852. The general assembly sat from 1853 to 1855.

John Kent was chosen as speaker.[1]

Ker Baillie-Hamilton served as civil governor of Newfoundland.[2]

Although Baillie-Hamilton was opposed to any change in the colony's system of government, in March 1854, Philip Francis Little and Robert John Parsons, with the support of Joseph Hume, were able to persuade the secretary of state for the colonies, the Duke of Newcastle, to grant responsible government to the colony.[2]

Later in 1854, the assembly passed a Representation Act to double the number of seats in the assembly; this satisfied one of the conditions set by Newcastle for implementation of responsible government.[3]

Baillie-Hamilton delayed the upcoming general election until May 1855 because he felt that a winter election would be unfair to Protestant voters living in remote areas of the colony.[2]

Members of the Assembly

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The following members were elected to the assembly in 1852:[4]

Member Electoral district Affiliation First elected / previously elected
John Henry Warren Bonavista Bay Conservative 1852
Clement Benning Burin Liberal 1852
John Bemister Conception Bay Conservative 1852
Edmund Hanrahan Liberal 1848
John Hayward Conservative 1852
William Talbot Liberal 1852
Peter Winser Ferryland Liberal 1848
George Henry Emerson[nb 1][4] Fogo Conservative 1848
Hugh William Hoyles Fortune Bay Conservative 1848
George James Hogsett Placentia and St. Mary's Liberal 1852
Ambrose Shea Liberal 1848
John Kent St. John's Liberal 1832, 1848
Philip Francis Little Liberal 1850
Robert John Parsons Liberal 1843
Stephen March Trinity Bay Conservative 1852

Notes:

  1. ^ By 1854, Emerson had aligned himself with the Liberals, bringing their number to ten.

By-elections

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None

References

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  1. ^ "The Speaker of the House of Assembly". House of Assembly. Archived from the original on 2009-10-13.
  2. ^ a b c Jones, Frederick (1982). "Baillie Hamilton, Ker". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XI (1881–1890) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  3. ^ "Shift Towards Responsible Government". Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. Memorial University.
  4. ^ a b "Elections". Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador. p. 684.