Legislative Council elections were held in

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

on 30 April 1920, the seventh elections to the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

Electoral system

The Legislative Council comprised thirteen elected members, together with six members nominated by the

British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC or BSACo) was chartered in 1889 following the amalgamation of Cecil Rhodes' Central Search Association and the London-based Exploring Company Ltd, which had originally competed to capitalize on the expecte ...

, and the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia. The Resident Commissioner of Southern Rhodesia, Crawford Douglas Douglas-Jones, also sat on the Legislative Council ''ex officio'' but without the right to vote. An important change in the franchise had been made in 1919 through the Women's Enfranchisement Ordinance, which gave the vote to women on the same basis as men. Married women (except those married under a system of polygamy) qualified under the financial and educational status of their husbands, if they did not possess them in their own right. This brought 3,467 new voters to the lists. New districts were needed for this election under a provision of the 1914 proclamation that had created the 12 separate districts. The proclamation allowed for an automatic increase of one new district for each increase of 792 voters. The required number had been reached in 1917. The boundary changes that followed left the Eastern district untouched, as well as the four districts in the south-west (Bulawayo District, Bulawayo North, Bulawayo South, and Western).

Parties

Previous elections to the Legislative Council were contested by individuals standing on their own records. By 1914, although no political parties had been created, the candidates for the Legislative Council had been broadly grouped in two camps, one favouring renewal of the Charter from the

, and the other moves towards full self-government within the Empire. By 1920 political parties had been formed, largely around these ideas. The Responsible Government Association, headed by Sir Charles Coghlan, sought a form of administrative autonomy within the Empire. They were in alliance with the

Rhodesia Labour Party The Rhodesia Labour Party was a political party which existed in Southern Rhodesia from 1923 until the 1950s. Originally formed on the model of the British Labour Party from trade unions and being especially dominated by railway workers, it fo ...

throughout most of the colony. Ranged against them were the Unionists, who advocated Southern Rhodesia joining the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa (; , ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day South Africa, Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the British Cape Colony, Cape, Colony of Natal, Natal, Tra ...

, and a large number of Independent candidates who were generally in support of continuation of the charter from the British South Africa Company.

Results

By constituency

* Incumbent

Nominated members

The members nominated by the British South Africa Company were: * James Donald Mackenzie, Attorney-General * Ernest Charles Baxter, Controller of Customs and Excise * Dr Eric Arthur Nobbs PhD BSc FHAS, Director of Agriculture * George Henry Eyre, Postmaster-General * Sir Ernest William Sanders Montagu, Secretary for Mines and Works * Percival Donald Leslie Fynn, Treasurer Robert MacIlwaine, Solicitor-General, was appointed a member to replace Ernest Charles Baxter during Baxter's temporary absence on 6 May 1920. George Henry Eyre stood down and was replaced by Robert MacIlwaine on 25 March 1921. During a Special Session of the Legislative Council between 3 and 11 October 1923, held to set up the new administration following the award of responsible government, the appointed members were: * Sir John Robert Chancellor, Governor (sitting in the ''ex officio'' seat of the Administrator) * Percival Donald Leslie Fynn, Treasurer * Robert James Hudson, Attorney General * Sir

Francis James Newton Sir Francis James Newton (1857 – 8 May 1948) was a senior colonial administrator in different parts of the British Empire, principally in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Early life He was the son of Francis Rodes Newton (1827–1886), a ...

KCMG CVO, Colonial Secretary * Eric Arthur Nobbs, Director of Agriculture * Robert MacIlwaine, Solicitor General * Dr Andrew Milroy Fleming CMG, Medical Director

References

* ''Source Book of Parliamentary Elections and Referenda in Southern Rhodesia 1898–1962'' ed. by F.M.G. Willson (Department of Government, University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland,

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

1963) * ''Holders of Administrative and Ministerial Office 1894–1964'' by F.M.G. Willson and G.C. Passmore, assisted by Margaret T. Mitchell (Source Book No. 3, Department of Government, University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland,

1966) * ''Official Year Book of the Colony of Southern Rhodesia'', No. 1 – 1924, Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia {{Zimbabwe elections Elections in Southern Rhodesia

Legislative Council election