1908 Newfoundland general election

{{Short description|Election in the Dominion of Newfoundland}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox election | election_name = 1908 Newfoundland general election | country = Dominion of Newfoundland | type = parliamentary | party_colour = no | party_name = no | previous_election = 1904 Newfoundland general election | previous_year = 1904 | previous_mps = Outgoing members | election_date = November 2, 1908 | elected_mps = Elected members | next_election = 1909 Newfoundland general election | next_year = 1909 | next_mps = | seats_for_election = 36 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly | majority_seats = 19 | turnout = 73.78%<ref name="Yearbook">{{cite book |title=Year Book and Almanac of Newfoundland 1909 |date=1909 |publisher=J. W. Withers |location=St. John's, NL |pages=18–19 |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_almanac/id/42974/rec/33}}</ref> ({{increase}} 2.61pp) | image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image = Newfoundland at the beginning of the 20th century - a treatise of history and development (1902) (14587364079).jpg|bSize = 200|cWidth = 100|cHeight = 160|oTop = 42|oLeft = 60|Location = center}} | colour1 = E62020 | leader1 = Robert Bond | leader_since1 = 1897 | party1 = Liberal | leaders_seat1 = Twillingate | last_election1 = 30 | seats1 = '''18''' | seat_change1 = {{decrease}} 12 | popular_vote1 = '''48,341''' | percentage1 = '''50.22%''' | swing1 = {{decrease}}9.80% | image2 = x160px | colour2 = FFB6C1 | leader2 = Edward Morris | leader_since2 = 1908 | party2 = People's | leaders_seat2 = St. John's West | last_election2 = 6{{efn|name="United"|As the United Opposition Party}} | seats2 = '''18''' | seat_change2 = {{increase}} 12 | popular_vote2 = 47,487 | percentage2 = 49.34% | swing2 = {{increase}}9.77% | map_image = | map_size = | map_caption = | title = Prime Minister | before_election = Robert Bond | before_party = Liberal | after_election = Robert Bond | posttitle = Prime Minister after election | after_party = Liberal | ongoing = No }}

The '''1908 Newfoundland general election''' was held on November 2, 1908 to elect members of the 21st General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The seats were split evenly between the Liberal Party and the new Newfoundland People's Party formed by Edward Morris after he resigned from the Liberal government in 1907 and joined with the opposition. Robert Bond, the Liberal leader, asked the Governor William MacGregor to dissolve the assembly. MacGregor refused to do this and Bond resigned as Premier. The Governor asked Edward P. Morris to form a government. The assembly was not able to elect a speaker and, after the Governor was unable to convince the two party leaders to form a coalition government, the house of assembly was dissolved on April 9, 1909.

== Results == {| class="wikitable" !  !Party !Leader ! 1904 !Candidates !Seats won !Seat change !% of seats (% change) !Popular vote !% of vote (% change) {{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|row}} |Liberal |Robert Bond | align=right|30 | align=right|36 | align=right|18 | align=right|{{decrease}}12 | align=right|50.00% ({{decrease}}33.33%) | align=right|48,341 | align=right {{nowrap}}|50.22% ({{decrease}}9.80%) {{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|row}} |People's |Edward Morris | align=right|6{{efn|name="United"|}} | align=right|36 | align=right|18 | align=right|{{increase}}12 | align=right|50.00% ({{increase}}33.33%) | align=right|47,487 | align=right {{nowrap}}|49.34% ({{increase}}9.77%) {{Canadian party colour|NL|Independent|row}} | colspan="2"|Other | align=right|0 | align=right|2 | align=right|0 | align=right|{{steady}} | align=right|0.00% ({{steady}}) | align=right|424 | align=right {{nowrap}}|0.44% ({{increase}}0.03%) |- ! colspan="3"|Totals ! align=right|36 ! align=right|74 ! align=right|36 ! align=right|{{steady}} ! align=right|100% ! align=right|96,252{{efn|This figure includes votes cast for more than one candidate in multi-member districts. A total of 42,082 individual votes were cast in this election.<ref name="Yearbook" />}} ! align=right|100% |- |}

== Results by district ==

*Names in '''boldface type''' represent party leaders. *† indicates that the incumbent did not run again. *‡ indicates that the incumbent ran in a different district.

===St. John's=== {{Canadian politics/candlist header|province=NL|Liberal (historical)|People's}} |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|St. John's East 84.83% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |James Kent 2,755 21.37% | |Michael Gibbs 1,935 15.01% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |James Kent |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |George Shea 2,555 19.82% | |Frank McNamara 1,598 12.40% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |George Shea |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |John Dwyer 2,461 19.09% | |Maurice Devine 1,588 12.32% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |John Dwyer |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|St. John's West 83.37% turnout | |George Power<ref name="LiberalsStJohnsWest">{{cite news |title=The West End Aflame! The Fountainhead of Liberalism More Loyal Than Ever! |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram19/id/64318/rec/1 |access-date=19 May 2025 |publisher=Evening Telegram |date=16 October 1908}}</ref> 1,822 15.89% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |'''Edward Morris''' 2,274 19.83% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |'''Edward Morris''' |- | |Andrew Glendenning<ref name="LiberalsStJohnsWest" /> 1,604 13.99% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |John R. Bennett 2,142 18.68% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |John R. Bennett |- | |Edward Carter<ref>{{cite news |title=Voters of St. John's West |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/evechronicle/id/1484/rec/1 |access-date=19 May 2025 |publisher=Evening Chronicle |date=30 October 1908}}</ref> 1,575<ref>{{cite news |title=Election Returns |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/westernstar/id/2522/rec/19 |access-date=19 May 2025 |publisher=The Western Star |date=11 November 1908}}</ref> 13.73% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Michael Kennedy 2,052 17.89% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |John Scott† |}

===Conception Bay=== {{Canadian politics/candlist header|province=NL|Liberal (historical)|People's}} |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Bay de Verde 84.51% turnout | |William Penney 998 23.54% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |John Crosbie 1,147 27.06% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |William C. Winsor‡ (ran in Bonavista Bay) |- | |F. Mews 992 23.40% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Jesse Whiteway 1,102 26.00% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Charles Hutchings† |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Carbonear 80.73% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Joseph Maddock 579 51.01% | |John Goodison 556 48.99% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Joseph Maddock |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Harbour Grace 76.35% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Eli Dawe 1,153 16.55% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Archibald Piccott 1,206 17.31% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Eli Dawe |- | |Arthur Barnes 1,129 16.20% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Edward Parsons 1,200 17.22% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |William Oke |- | |William Oke 1,129 16.20% | |Alfred Seymour 1,150 16.51% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Arthur Barnes |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Harbour Main 69.06% turnout | |John Lewis 862 25.44% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |William Woodford 948 27.98% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Frank Morris‡ (ran in Placentia and St. Mary's) |- | |Patrick Summers 702 20.72% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |John J. Murphy 876 25.86% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |John Lewis |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Port de Grave 69.58% turnout | |William Lloyd 581 42.85% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |William Warren 775 57.15% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Vacant|background}}| |''Vacant''{{efn|Charles Dawe had been elected in a 1906 by-election, but he died while in office on March 29, 1908.}} |}

===Avalon Peninsula=== {{Canadian politics/candlist header|province=NL|Liberal (historical)|People's|Other}} |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Ferryland 89.12% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |William Ellis 639 27.00% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Michael Cashin 916 38.70% |rowspan=2| |rowspan=2|Michael Condon (Independent) 298 12.59% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Michael Cashin |- | |R. J. Moore 225 9.51% | |Philip Moore 587 24.80% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |William Ellis |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Placentia and St. Mary's 78.38% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Edward Jackman 1,846 19.94% | |Richard Devereaux 1,343 14.55% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Edward Jackman |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Michael Sullivan 1,724 18.67% | |William Howley 1,341 14.52% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Thomas Bonia† |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |James Davis 1,653 17.90% | |Frank Morris 1,326 14.36% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Michael Sullivan |}

===Eastern Newfoundland=== {{Canadian politics/candlist header|province=NL|Liberal (historical)|People's}} |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Bonavista Bay 61.47% turnout | |Edward Bishop<ref name="LiberalBonavista">{{cite news |title=Bonavista's Watchword: Vote For Bishop, Knowling and Blackwood, and No Confederation! |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/telegram19/id/64318/rec/2 |access-date=20 May 2025 |publisher=Evening Telegram |date=16 October 1908}}</ref> 1,013 9.81% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Sydney Blandford 2,624 25.40% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Donald Morison |- | |James Blackwood<ref name="LiberalBonavista" /> 923 8.93% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |William C. Winsor 2,524 24.43% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Mark Chaplin† |- | |Philip Knowling<ref name="LiberalBonavista" /> 808 7.82% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Donald Morison 2,439 23.61% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Sydney Blandford |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Trinity Bay 71.06% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |George Gushue 2,007 18.32% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Robert Watson 1,832 16.72% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |George Gushue |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Arthur Miller 1,882 17.18% | |Richard Squires 1,827 16.67% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |William Lloyd‡ (ran in Port de Grave) |- | |George Ayre 1,690 15.42% | |Aaron Stone<ref>{{cite news |title=The Trinity Team: Watson, Squires and Stone |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/evechronicle/id/1205/rec/1 |access-date=20 May 2025 |publisher=Evening Chronicle |date=24 September 1908}}</ref> 1,719 15.69% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Arthur Miller |- |}

===Central Newfoundland=== {{Canadian politics/candlist header|province=NL|Liberal (historical)|People's}} |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Fogo 65.73% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Henry Earle 757 55.13% | |Henry Fitzgerald 616 44.87% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Henry Earle |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Twillingate 69.48% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |'''Robert Bond''' 2,639 25.30% | |Alan Goodridge 1,176 11.28% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |'''Robert Bond''' |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |James Clift 2,550 24.45% | |Jordan Milley 975 9.35% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |James Clift |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |George Roberts 2,290 21.96% | |Sydney Woods 800 7.67% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |George Roberts |}

===Southern and Western Newfoundland=== {{Canadian politics/candlist header|province=NL|Liberal (historical)|People's|Other}} |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Burgeo and LaPoile 73.06% turnout | |A. J. W. McNeilly 566 41.74% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Robert Moulton 790 58.26% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Robert Moulton |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Burin 71.46% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Edward Davey 930 27.34% | |John A. Robinson 802 23.57% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Edward Davey |- |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Henry Gear 896 26.34% | |Thomas LeFeuvre 774 22.75% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Henry Gear |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Fortune Bay 68.10% turnout | |Andrew Carnell 758 46.96% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Charles Emerson 856 53.04% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |Albert Martin† |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|St. Barbe 69.80% turnout |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |William Clapp 972 59.30% | |Henry Mott 667 40.70% | | |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |William Clapp |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|St. George's 68.47% turnout | |Michael Abbott<ref>{{cite news |title=Michael Francis Abbott |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/westernstar/id/2513/rec/2 |access-date=20 May 2025 |publisher=The Western Star |date=28 October 1908}}</ref> 676 37.43% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|People's|background}}| |Joseph Downey 1,004 55.59% | |James Hayes<ref>{{cite news |title=Jas. R Hayes Addresses Electors |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/westernstar/id/2513/rec/2 |access-date=20 May 2025 |publisher=The Western Star |date=28 October 1908}}</ref> (Independent) 126 6.98% |{{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal (historical)|background}}| |George Carty† |- |}

== Notes == {{notelist}}

== References == {{reflist}}

== Further reading == * {{cite encyclopedia |last=Riggs |first=Bert |date=1981 |title=General Election #21: November 2, 1908|url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_enl/id/98|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1 |location=St. John's |publisher=Harry Cuff Publications Ltd. |access-date=20 May 2025}} * {{cite web |last1=Webb |first1=Jeff |date=2001 |title=The 1908 Tie Election |url=https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/1908-tie-election.php |website=Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador |access-date=31 May 2025}}

1908 Category:1908 elections in North America Category:1908 elections in Canada Category:Politics of the Dominion of Newfoundland Category:1900s in Newfoundland Category:1908 in North America Category:November 1908 in Canada