The 1856 New Brunswick general election was a very close election. The

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

members of Parliament manage to claim 21 seats, to the liberals' 20. Premier Charles Fisher's alliance of Liberal MLAs were ousted from government, and

John Hamilton Gray John Hamilton Gray may refer to two 19th-century Canadian politicians: *John Hamilton Gray (Prince Edward Island politician) (1811–1887), Premier of Prince Edward Island *John Hamilton Gray (New Brunswick politician) John Hamilton Gray, (1 ...

became the new Premier of the colony. The main issue of the election was

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

. In 1855, the Liberals had passed a legislation banning alcohol in the colony, following

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

's example. The new administration repealed this act in a special session immediately after forming government.

Results

References

Elections in New Brunswick 1856 elections in Canada Prohibition in Canada Alcohol in New Brunswick {{Canada-election-stub