Elections to the Legislative Council were held in the

Colony of Natal The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Natalia Republic, Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three o ...

in September 1892. The initial result was a victory for the anti-responsible government party, which won 14 of the 24 seats."South Africa" ''The Times'', 30 September 1892, p3, issue 33757 However, this was later overturned as four anti-responsible government members lost their seats after their election was annulled, and the by-elections were won by pro-responsible government candidates.

Background

The Legislative Council was dissolved on 22 August 1892 following the submission of a report for the Council on the Bill for Establishing Responsible Government of Natal. The elections were contested entirely on whether to accept the bill or not. The basis of opposition to the bill was the claim that it gave full control over the black population to the Crown, and the counter-claim that it did not put the black population under the control of the British government.

Results

Aftermath

The new Legislative Council was opened on 7 October 1892. In response to the speech of Governor

Charles Mitchell Charles Mitchell may refer to: * Charles Mitchell (footballer), British soccer player * Charles Mitchell (academic) (born 1965), professor of law at University College, London * Charles Mitchell (American football) (born 1989), American football ...

, the Council passed a response by 14 votes to nine stating that the election results showed that the colony did not wish for responsible government and that the Council would not consider it. The decision was accepted by Mitchell. In November, the election results of four members of the Anti group in

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

and

Weenen Weenen (Dutch for "wept") is the second oldest European settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated on the banks of the Bushman River. The farms around the town grow vegetables, lucerne, groundnuts, and citrus fruit. History The ...

were annulled for violations of the ballot act, with one Newcastle member, Green, declared to be an alien. In the Weenen by-election in December, two pro-responsible government members were elected."Responsible Government In Natal" ''The Times'', 17 December 1892, p5, issue 33824 The Newcastle by-election was scheduled for January, but was delayed due to the accidental destruction of the ballot papers. In the eventual contest, two more pro-responsible government members were elected in the Newcastle by-election, giving the group a four-seat majority."Responsible Government In Natal" , ''The Times'', 2 March 1893, p5, issue 33888 On 4 July Mitchell proclaimed a new constitution, granting the colony responsible government. As a result, fresh elections were held."News in Brief", ''The Times'', 5 July 1893, p5, issue 33995

References

{{Boer and South African colonial elections

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

Elections in Natal 1892 in the Colony of Natal September 1892 events