2nd New Zealand Parliament

The 2nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 15 April 1856, following New Zealand's 1855 election. It was dissolved on 5 November 1860 in preparation for 1860–61 election. The 2nd Parliament was the first under which New Zealand had responsible government, meaning that unlike previously, the Cabinet was chosen (although not officially appointed) by Parliament rather than by the Governor-General of New Zealand.

Historical context

At this time political parties had not been established (they were not established until after the 1890 election), meaning that anyone attempting to form an administration had to win support directly from individual MPs. This made forming (and retaining) a government difficult. The Sewell Ministry, the first responsible government, led by Henry Sewell, lasted only two weeks. The first Fox Ministry, the second responsible government, led by William Fox, also lasted only two weeks. The third responsible government, the first Stafford Ministry, led by Edward Stafford, was more stable, governing for the remainder of the 2nd Parliament and for the beginning of the 3rd.

Parliamentary sessions

Parliament sat for three sessions:

{| class="wikitable" style=align-center

! Session

! from

! to

|First

|15 Apr 1856

|16 Aug 1856

|Second

|10 Aug 1858

|21 Aug 1858

|Third

|30 Jul 1860

|5 Nov 1860

Electoral boundaries for the 2nd Parliament

The 2nd Parliament, which initially used the same electoral boundaries as the 1st Parliament, consisted of thirty-seven representatives representing twenty-four electorates. Two regions of the colony (the inland regions of the lower North Island and the north-west corner of the South Island) were not part of any electorate, and so were not represented.

File:NewZealandElectorates1853-Labeled.png

The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 allowed the General Assembly to add or alter electorates whenever this was desired, and this was first done in 1858 as described below. The amendment changed the boundaries to some electorates and supplementary elections were held the following year—held between 7 November and 18 December 1859—to fill vacancies.

Initial composition of the 2nd Parliament

Changes during term

thumb|400px|Montage of portraits depicting members of the [[New Zealand House of Representatives, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Clerk of the House, during the Second Parliament in 1860. Government House, Auckland, is at the top. This is the first photo taken of the New Zealand Parliament.]]

thumb|300px|The key that goes with the montage of portraits.

The turnover of MPs was very high in the 2nd Parliament, with 32 by-elections and a supplementary election being held. This situation was partly the result of a redistribution of boundaries to seven electorates, and the creation of four new electorates – agreed upon in the Electoral Districts Act, 1858, with the total number of MPs in Parliament rising from 37 to 41, and the number of electorates rising from 24 to 28. The electorates Bay of Islands and Northern Division were combined and then redivided, with Marsden resulting as a new electorate. The Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay electorate was split into two separate components, and . All the previously unincorporated areas in the lower North Island were divided between Wairarapa, County of Hawke, , and .

In the South Island, the southern portion of Wairau electorate, plus part of Christchurch Country, became the new Cheviot electorate. The western portion of Dunedin Country was split off and became the new Wallace electorate. The northwest of the South Island remained the colony's only territory not part of an electorate.

Members of Parliament belonging to one of the electorates that was split could choose which of the two new electorates they would want to represent, and by-elections were held during 1859 in the thus unrepresented electorates.

At the opening of the 6th session of the Parliament on 10 April 1858, the speaker read out 14 resignations.

{| class="wikitable"

|- align=center

! By-election !! Electorate !! Date !! Incumbent !! Reason !! Winner

Existing electorates

;Akaroa

Cuff resigned on 12 January 1858

Brodie resigned on 6 December 1859 and was succeeded by Theophilus Heale.

;Christchurch Country

Brittin resigned on 7 July 1856, returned to England on 'urgent business' and did not return to New Zealand. He was succeeded in 1856 by John Ollivier, who himself resigned on 21 January 1860. Ollivier was succeeded by Isaac Cookson.

Hall resigned on 10 March 1860 and was succeeded by Charles Hunter Brown.

;City of Auckland

Campbell resigned on 19 November 1856. Instead, he successfully stood for re-election within months. The other person returned in the same by-election was William Barnard Rhodes.

;County of Hawke

The renamed County of Hawke (it had previously been Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay, until its southern portion was made into the separate electorate of Wairarapa). Thomas Henry Fitzgerald was elected as its representative on 26 April 1860.

;Dunedin Country

John and his father William Cargill resigned on 5 March 1858

;Pensioner Settlements

Greenwood resigned

;Southern Division

Taylor resigned on 13 April 1858 and was succeeded through an 1858 by-election by Theodore Haultain.

;Town of Christchurch

Sewell resigned his seat in late 1856 to return to England. He was succeeded by Richard Packer. Packer resigned in 1859. Sewell, having returned from England, won the 1860 by-election. He did not seek re-election at the end of the term, but was appointed Registrar-General of Lands towards the end of 1860.

;Town of Dunedin

Macandrew resigned on 2 November 1858. He successfully contested the January 1859 by-election in the same electorate.

;Town of Lyttelton

FitzGerald] resigned in 1857 due to ill health. Crosbie Ward won the resulting by-election in May 1858.

;Waimea

Elliot resigned in 1858.

;Wairau

Wells resigned in 1858.