The Canadian federal election, 1872 was held on July 20, 1872. Sir John A. Macdonald's Conservatives remained in power, defeating the Liberals.
Edward Blake, who had a seat in both the Canadian House of Commons and the Ontario legislature, resigned as Premier of Ontario in order to run in the 1872 federal election as dual mandates had been abolished. Had the Liberals won the election, he likely would have been offered the position of Prime Minister of Canada. The party had no formal leader as such until 1873 when Alexander Mackenzie was given the title after Blake declined due to ill health. Blake was ill during much of the 1872 campaign, and it was Mackenzie who essentially led the Liberal campaign in Ontario, though not outside of the province.
Results
National
| 2nd Parliament
|
| Party
| Party Leader
| # of candidates
| Seats
| Popular Vote
|
| Before
| After
| Change
| #
| %
| Change
|
| Conservative
| Sir John A. Macdonald
| 92
| 71
| 63
| -11.3%
| 82,024
| 25.76%
| +2.31%
|
| Liberal-Conservative
| Sir John A. Macdonald
| 48
| 29
| 36
| +24.1%
| 41,076
| 12.90%
| +1.82%
|
| Liberal
| Edward Blake, Alexander Mackenzie
Antoine Dorion
| 111
| 62
| 95
| +53.2%
| 110,556
| 34.72%
| +12.05%
|
| Independents
|
| 4
| -
| 1
|
| 5,213
| 1.64%
| +1.25%
|
| Independent Conservative
|
| 3
| -
| 2
|
| 2,220
| 0.70%
| +0.70%
|
| Independent Liberal
|
| 4
| -
| 2
|
| 5,232
| 1.64%
| +0.98%
|
| Conservative Labour
|
| 1
| -
| 1
|
| 1,422
| 0.45%
| +0.45%
|
| Unknown
|
| 104
| -
| -
| -
| 70,704
| 22.20%
| -11.64%
|
|
| 367
| 180
| 200
| +11.1%
| 320,037
| 100%
|
|
| Source: http://www.parl.gc.ca
|
Notes:
"Before" refers to standings in the House of Commons at the last election, and not standings at dissolution.
Acclamations
The following MPs were acclaimed:
- British Columbia: 3 Liberal-Conservatives
- Manitoba: 1 Liberal-Conservative
- Ontario: 3 Conservatives, 3 Liberal-Conservatives, 10 Liberals
- Quebec: 9 Conservatives, 5 Liberal-Conservatives, 5 Liberals
- New Brunswick: 6 Liberals
- Nova Scotia: 1 Conservative, 4 Liberal-Conservatives, 2 Liberals
Results by province
| Party Name |
BC |
Man |
Ont
| Que |
NB |
NS |
Canada/Total |
| Conservative Seats |
1 |
1 |
26 |
26 |
2 |
7 |
63 |
| Pop Vote |
4.5 |
29.7 |
25.9 |
31.5 |
8.4 |
23.5 |
25.8 |
| Liberal-Conservative Seats |
3 |
1 |
12 |
11 |
3 |
6 |
36 |
| Pop Vote |
|
|
11.9 |
10.5 |
17.8 |
19.8 |
12.9 |
| Liberal Seats |
2 |
1 |
48 |
27 |
9 |
8 |
95 |
| Pop Vote |
83.7 |
35.6 |
35.3 |
32.6 |
46.8 |
28.1 |
34.7 |
| Conservative Labour |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
| Pop Vote |
|
|
0.9 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
| Unknown Seats |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Unknown Pop Vote |
11.8 |
14.9 |
23.4 |
21.5 |
26.9 |
16.4 |
22.2 |
| Independent Seats |
|
|
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
| Independent Pop Vote |
|
|
0.8 |
1.7 |
|
6.1 |
1.6 |
| Independent Liberal Seats |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
| Independent Liberal Pop Vote |
|
|
1.7 |
|
|
6.1 |
1.6 |
| Independent Conservative Seats |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
| Independent Conservative Pop Vote |
|
19.8 |
|
2.2 |
|
|
0.7 |
| Total Seats |
6 |
4 |
88 |
65 |
16 |
21 |
200 |
| Party Name |
BC |
Man |
Ont |
Que |
NB |
NS |
Canada/Total |
- Liberal-Conservatives sat with the Conservative Party
For a list of candidates elected in the 1872 election, including by-elections held before 1874, see 2nd Canadian parliament.
