The 1898 British Columbia general election was held in 1898. It was held to elect members of the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia () is the deliberative assembly of the Legislature of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The other component of the Legislature is the lieutenant governor of British Columbi ...

. Unlike in the previous BC general election, in 1898 of the 38 MLAs 24 were elected in single member districts. There were also three 2-member districts and two 4-member districts. Each voter could cast as many votes as there were seats to fill in the district.

Party politics

There were no

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

in this election — until the 1903 election, British Columbia politics were officially non-partisan and political parties were not part of the process. This trend began to change in the 1898 and 1900 elections with the appearance of party-designated candidates and some party-declared members; for example, Ralph Smith in South Nanaimo. The political alignments designated at the time of the dropping of the writ did not necessarily have anything to do with the jockeying for power and support once the election returns were in. Therefore, members shown as "Government" or "Opposition" only ran under that slate and had no necessary allegiances or party loyalties to follow. If a new government formed from the "Opposition" slate, as here with

Charles Augustus Semlin Charles Augustus "Charlie" Semlin (December 4, 1836 – November 2, 1927) was a Canadian politician and rancher. Born near Barrie, Upper Canada, Semlin worked there as a schoolteacher until 1862 when he moved to British Columbia during the ...

, there was nothing to say that someone who'd run under the "Government" banner might not cross the floor either to join the governing caucus, or actually be invited over to take a cabinet position. In the table below, the seating is only as it was when the House convened. The failure of Semlin's government fell on the shoulders of an over-ambitious Joseph Martin by early 1900. He held on to power despite a petition from Members of the House to the Lieutenant-Governor, but the Lieutenant-Governor,

Thomas Robert McInnes Thomas Robert McInnes or ( Gaelic) Tòmas Raibeart Mac Aonghais (5 November 1840 – 15 March 1904) was a Canadian physician, Member of Parliament, Senator, and the sixth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. He was the father of the ...

, continued to support Martin so long as there was no sitting of the House, such that a situation of non-confidence could be proven, even though Martin had only himself and one other member in his caucus. Martin held out for six months, but the inevitable sitting of the House and immediate vote of non-confidence and subsequent election removed him from power and brought in

James Dunsmuir James Dunsmuir (July 8, 1851 – June 6, 1920) was a Canadian industrialist and politician in British Columbia. He served as the 14th premier of British Columbia from 1900 to 1902 and the eighth lieutenant governor of British Columbia from 1 ...

. It was because of this debacle, born in this election and the ones that preceded it, that party politics was finally introduced to British Columbia for the 1903 election.

Results by riding

, - , , , align="center", Charles William Digby Clifford , align="center" rowspan=2, Cassiar
Government , , , , , align="center" , Alberni
Opposition , align="center",

Alan Webster Neill Alan Webster Neill (October 6, 1868 - July 7, 1960) was a Canadian politician. He was elected as MLA for the riding of Alberni in 1889 and 1900 serving until 1903. He was Alderman on the first Council of the newly incorporated Town of Alberni (1 ...

, , , - , , , align="center",

John Irving John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942) is an American and Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of his fourth novel '' Th ...

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Cariboo The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia, Canada, centered on a plateau stretching from Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the Caribou (North America), caribou that were once abundant in the reg ...

Opposition , align="center", Hans Lars Helgesen , , , - , , , align="center",

, align="center" , Comox
Government , , , , , align="center", John Charlton Kinchant , , , - , , , align="center",

Charles Edward Pooley Charles Edward Pooley, KC (February 8, 1845 – March 28, 1912) was a lawyer and political figure in British Columbia, Canada. He represented Esquimalt in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1882 to 1906 as a Conservative. He ...

, align="center" ,

Esquimalt The Township of Esquimalt () is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Jua ...

Opposition , , , , , align="center" ,

Opposition , align="center", David Williams Higgins , ,      , - , ,      , align="center", William Russell Robertson , align="center" , Cowichan
Government , ,      , ,      , align="center" , Lillooet East
Opposition , align="center", James Douglas Prentice , ,      , - , ,      , align="center", William George Nielson , align="center" , East Kootenay (north riding)
Government , ,      , ,      , align="center" ,

Nanaimo City Nanaimo City was a provincial electoral district in the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia in Canada from 1890 to 1912. It was one of two Nanaimo ridings at the time, created out of the older Nanaimo riding (1871 to 1928), with intermediary riding ...

Opposition , align="center", Robert Edward McKechnie , , , - , , , align="center",

James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House chief of staff and 67th United States secretary ...

, align="center" , East Kootenay (south riding)
Government , , , , , align="center" , South Nanaimo
Labour , align="center", Ralph Smith , , , - , , , align="center",

Alfred Wellington Smith Alfred Wellington Smith (March 20, 1838 - December 25, 1907) was an English-born general merchant and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Lillooet from 1889 to 1894 and Lillooet West from 1894 to 1903 in the Legislative Assembl ...

, align="center" , Lillooet West
Government , , , , , align="center" rowspan=4 ,

Vancouver City Vancouver City may refer to: * Vancouver City (federal electoral district), 1904–1917, in Canada * Vancouver City (provincial electoral district), 1890–1928, in British Columbia, Canada * Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia, Canad ...

Opposition , align="center", Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton , ,      , - , ,      , align="center", Alexander Henderson , align="center" , New Westminster City
Government , ,      , ,      , align="center", Robert Macpherson , ,      , - , ,      , align="center", John Bryden , align="center" , North Nanaimo
Government , ,      , ,      , align="center", Joseph Martin , ,      , - , ,      , align="center", John Paton Booth , align="center" ,

North Victoria North Victoria was a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada. It was created from a partition of the old Victoria riding, one of the province's first twelve, and first appeared on the hustings in 1894 as part of a redistribution ...

Government , , , , , align="center",

Charles Edward Tisdall Charles Edward Tisdall (9 April 1866 – 17 March 1936) was the 19th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1922 to 1923. He was born in Birmingham, England and moved to Vancouver in April 1888. In 1899 he was elected Chairman of the Van ...

, , , - , , , align="center", David McEwen Eberts , align="center" , South Victoria
Government , , , , , align="center" ,

West Kootenay-Nelson West Kootenay-Nelson was an electoral district (Canada), electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1898 to 1903. For other ridings named Kootenay or in the Kootenays, Kootenay region, please see Kootenay (electoral distri ...

Opposition , align="center",

John Frederick Hume John Frederick Hume (August 8, 1860 – February 6, 1935) was a miner, notary public and political figure in British Columbia. He represented the riding of West Kootenay South in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1894 to 1898, ...

, , , - , , , align="center", Richard Hall , align="center" rowspan=4 ,

Victoria City Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

Government , , , , , align="center" , West Kootenay-Revelstoke
Opposition , align="center", James M. Kellie , , , - , , , align="center",

Henry Dallas Helmcken Henry Dallas "Harry" Helmcken (December 23, 1859 – July 6, 1912) was a lawyer and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Victoria City in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1894 until his defeat in the 1903 prov ...

, , , , , align="center" , West Kootenay-Rossland
Opposition , align="center", James Morris Martin , , , - , , , align="center",

Albert Edward McPhillips Albert Edward McPhillips (21 March 1861 – 24 January 1938) was a Canadian politician and a barrister. Early years He was the son of George McPhillips (born County Monaghan, 1805–1878) and Margaret Lavin (born County Armagh County Arma ...

, , , , , align="center" ,

West Kootenay-Slocan West Kootenay-Slocan was an electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocea ...

Opposition , align="center",

Robert Francis Green Robert Francis Green (November 14, 1861 – October 5, 1946) was a Canadian businessman and Conservative politician, born in Peterborough, Canada West. From 1893 to 1897, Green served three terms as mayor of Kaslo, British Columbia. He was a mem ...

, , , - , , , align="center",

John Herbert Turner John Herbert Turner (May 7, 1834 – December 9, 1923) was a British Columbia politician. Born in Claydon, Suffolk, England, Turner moved to British North America and worked as a merchant in Halifax and Charlottetown. In 1862 he moved to V ...

¹ , , , , , align="center" , Westminster-Chilliwhack
Opposition , align="center", Charles William Munro , , , - , , , align="center",

Richard McBride Sir Richard McBride, (December 15, 1870 – August 6, 1917) was a British Columbia politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 ...

, align="center" , Westminster-Dewdney
Government , , , , , align="center" , Westminster-Delta
Opposition , align="center", Thomas William Forster , , , - , , , align="center", Price Ellison , align="center" ,

Yale-East Yale-East was a provincial electoral district in the British Columbia legislature that appeared only in the 1894, 1898 and 1900 elections. It and its sister ridings Yale-West and Yale-North were created from the older three-member Yale (provincia ...

Government , , , , , align="center" , Westminster-Richmond
Opposition , align="center", Thomas Kidd , , , - , , , , , , , align="center" ,

Yale-North Yale-North was a provincial electoral district in the British Columbia legislature that appeared only in the 1894, 1898 and 1900 elections. It and its sister ridings, Yale-West and Yale-East, were created from the older three-member Yale provin ...

Opposition , align="center", Francis John Deane , , , - , , , , , , , align="center" , Yale-West
Opposition , align="center",

² , , , - , , align-left", ¹ Incumbent Premier , , , , , align-left", ² Premier-Elect , - , align="center" colspan="10", Source: , -

References

*'' In the Sea of Sterile Mountains: The Chinese in British Columbia'', Joseph Morton, J.J. Douglas, Vancouver (1974). Despite its title, a fairly thorough account of the politicians and electoral politics in early BCE. {{British Columbia elections

1898 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...

1898 elections in Canada 1898 in British Columbia July 1898 in North America