1856 Toronto municipal election
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All 28 members of Toronto City Council Mayor appointed by majority of City Council | |||||||
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The 1856 City of Toronto Municipal Election was the city's 22nd municipal election. Polling occurred on the first Monday and Tuesday of the year, January 7 and 8. Elections for Aldermen and Councilmen were held in seven wards and for the Municipal License Inspector.
After the election, John Beverley Robinson a member of the family compact and strong supporter of the railroads, was elected Mayor by City Council, beating John Hutchison a Toronto merchant, who had a reputation for opposing corruption.
Background
By the standards of 1850s civic politics, where riots disrupted voting in 1855 and 1857, the election of the Council for 1856 was quiet.[1] The issues that animated the campaign included awarding a major public works contract to complete The Esplanade, the controversy around establishing Separate Schools for Roman Catholics, and taverns licenses.[2]
The Esplanade Contract
In 1853, the City of Toronto passed the Esplanade Act to fill in land along the city's waterfront to provide a route for railways to cross the city and a public promenade along the waterfront. The contract was awarded to Gzowski and Company to construct the Esplanade, but multiple issues created a scandal, and in April 1855, City Council voted to annul the contract. However, the decision to cancel the contract led the Grand Trunk Railway, depending on the waterfront route, to threaten to place its track along Queen Street. This led to numerous public meetings and tremendous public pressure to finish the Esplanade.[3] City Council negotiated with the Grand Trunk Railway during the election campaign to construct the Esplanade. A primary concern was who was obligated to pay for crossings over the rail corridor, the city, or the railway.[4] A special meeting was called on January 13, 1856, after the election but before the new City Council was sworn in to approve the contract, with the modification that the city was responsible for paying for and building any ramps or bridges over the railway tracks, instead of the Grand Trunk Railway. Despite the previous controversies, the outgoing City Council approved the contract unanimously.[5]
Election of the Mayor
After the municipal election, City Council convened on January 21, 1856, to elect a Mayor. The proceedings were well-attended, with the gallery filled with spectators eager to witness a contest between John Beverley Robinson, who represented the Family Compact and John Hutchison, supported by the city's burgeoning mercantile community.[6] Alderman Dunn nominated Robinson for the position of Mayor, with the motion seconded by Councilman Davis. Alderman Dunn argued in favor of Robinson. He was the most qualified candidate and the only St. Patrick's Ward nominee not represented in the mayoral office for some time. Alderman Crooks nominated John Hutchison for Mayor, challenging Robinson's competency and criticizing him for not taking an interest in Council business when he was Alderman in 1854 and for not running for Council in 1855. Crooks also accused Robinson of arranging Councilman Moodie's absence from Council for the vote.[7] In an attempt to influence the mayoral election, Councilman Moodie, an employee of the Grand Trunk Railway and a vocal supporter of Hutchison, was dispatched by his employer to Montreal three days before the election of the Mayor by City Council, despite his objections.[8] Notwithstanding the controversy, Robinson was elected Mayor by a majority of 4, with the motion carried 15 to 11.[7]
City Council Results
Each ward elected 2 Aldermen and 2 Councilmen. There were ten open seats in the 1856 election, and 15 members of the City Council stood for re-election. Two incumbents lost, Angus Morrison (elected to the Provincial assembly in the summer of 1854) and William Graham.[9]
St. James' Ward
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| Position | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Vote for Mayor | |
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| Aldermen | John Harrington | File:Green check.svg Elected | 427 | 40.9% | N/A | Robinson |
| John Hutchison | File:Green check.svg Elected | 346 | 33.1% | N/A | Hutchison | |
| Hewitt | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 272 | 26.0% | N/A | N/A
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| Councilmen | John Wilson(X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 317 | 32.4% | +2.3% | Robinson |
| John Cameron | File:Green check.svg Elected | 244 | 25.0% | N/A | Hutchison | |
| Thompson | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 174 | 17.8% | N/A | N/A
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| Mitchell | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 158 | 16.2% | N/A | N/A
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| A.H. St. Germain | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 84 | 8.6% | N/A | N/A
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St. Andrew's Ward
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| Position | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Vote for Mayor | |
| Aldermen | John Worthington | File:Green check.svg Elected | 279 | 41.9% | N/A | Robinson |
| R.P. Crooks (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 205 | 30.8% | -4.9% | Hutchison | |
| Ritchey | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 182 | 27.3% | N/A | N/A
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| Councilmen | Henry Prettie (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 276 | 42.9% | +15.2% | Robinson |
| Henry Sproat | File:Green check.svg Elected | 229 | 35.6% | N/A | Robinson | |
| Charles Fisher | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 138 | 21.5% | +3.7% | N/A
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St. John's Ward
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| Position | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Vote for Mayor | |
| Aldermen | John Bugg (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 347 | 52.1% | +16.3% | Hutchison |
| Richard Dempsey | File:Green check.svg Elected | 319 | 47.9% | +15.8% | Robinson | |
| Councilmen | Robert Moodie | File:Green check.svg Elected | 336 | 46.8% | +12.6% | Absent
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| Joseph Rowell (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 241 | 33.6% | +3.6% | Hutchison | |
| Carnegie | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 141 | 19.6% | N/A | N/A
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St. David's Ward
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| Position | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Vote for Mayor | |
| Aldermen | William Henderson (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 340 | 37.0% | -3.2% | Hutchison |
| John George Bowes | File:Green check.svg Elected | 318 | 34.6% | N/A | Robinson | |
| Brooke | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 261 | 28.4% | N/A | N/A
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| Councilmen | Adam Beatty (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 328 | 32.8% | -10.1% | Robinson |
| John Carruthers (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 235 | 23.5% | -13.8% | Hutchison | |
| James Mallon | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 221 | 22.1% | N/A | N/A
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| William Ramsey | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 215 | 21.5% | N/A | N/A
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St. Lawrence Ward
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| Position | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Vote for Mayor | |
| Aldermen | Alexander Manning | File:Green check.svg Elected | 204 | 39.1% | +12.0% | Hutchison |
| William Strachan | File:Green check.svg Elected | 180 | 34.5% | N/A | Hutchison | |
| D.K. Feehan | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 138 | 26.4% | N/A | N/A
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| Councilmen | William Davis | File:Green check.svg Elected | 199 | 36.2% | N/A | Robinson |
| William Murphy (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 176 | 32.0% | -5.7% | Robinson | |
| Ernest | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 175 | 31.9% | N/A | N/A
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St. George's Ward
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| Position | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Vote for Mayor | |
| Aldermen | John Duggan (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 172 | 42.1% | -5.5% | Hutchison |
| G.A. Philpotts(X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 122 | 29.8% | -5.9% | Robinson | |
| Brunel | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 115 | 28.1% | N/A | N/A
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| Councilmen | Geo. Neeting | File:Green check.svg Elected | 127 | 35.4% | N/A | Hutchison |
| Edward Wright (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 131 | 36.5% | +5% | Absent
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| James Myers | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 101 | 28.1% | +4.4% | N/A
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St. Patrick's Ward
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| Position | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Vote for Mayor | |
| Aldermen | John Beverley Robinson | File:Green check.svg Elected | 279 | 47.3% | Candidate | |
| Johnathan Dunn (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 171 | 29.0% | -21.7% | Robinson | |
| Adam Wilson (X) | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 140 | 23.7% | -25.6% | N/A
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| Councilmen | T. Shortis | File:Green check.svg Elected | 231 | 40.4% | N/A | Robinson |
| Theophilus Earls (X) | File:Green check.svg Elected | 206 | 36.0% | -6.9% | Robinson | |
| Reeves | File:Dark Red x.svg Lost | 135 | 23.6% | N/A | N/A
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References
- ↑ Russell, Victor Loring, ed. (1984). Forging a consensus : historical essays on Toronto. Victor Loring Russell, Toronto. Sesquicentennial Board. Toronto: Published for the Toronto Sesquicentennial Board by University of Toronto Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-4875-8021-6. OCLC 988215315.
- ↑ "Mr St. Germain's Address: To the Electors of St. James' Ward". The Globe (1844-1936). December 28, 1855. p. 3.
- ↑ Goheen, Peter G. (2000). "The Struggle for Urban Public Space: Disposing of the Toronto Waterfront in the Nineteenth Century". In Murphy, Alexander B.; Johnson, Douglas L.; Haarman, Viola (eds.). Cultural Encounters with the Environment : Enduring and Evolving Geographic Themes. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. pp. 60–66. ISBN 0-7425-0105-1.
- ↑ "The Grand Trunk Railway Entering the City". The Globe (1844-1936). November 21, 1855. p. 1108.
- ↑ "Special Meeting of City Council: Settlement of the Esplanade Difficulty". The Globe (1844-1936). January 14, 1856. p. 2.
- ↑ "The Mayoralty". The Globe. January 16, 1856. p. 2.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "City Council Proceedings - Election of Mayor". The Globe. January 22, 1856. p. 2.
- ↑ "The Mayoralty: Infamous Conduct of the Grand Trunk Company". The Globe. January 19, 1856. p. 2.
- ↑ "The City Election". The Globe (1844-1936). January 7, 1856. p. 2.
