George Morris (New Zealand politician)

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
1876–1879 6th East Coast Independent
1881–1884 8th Tauranga Independent
1884–1885 9th Tauranga Independent

George Betham Morris (1840 – 16 April 1903) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from the Gisborne and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand.

He represented the East Coast electorate from 1876 (when he was declared elected on a petition) to 1879, when he was defeated.[1]

The 1881 election in the newly formed Tauranga electorate was hotly contested. Four candidates were nominated: Morris; William Kelly, who had also previously represented the East Coast electorate; George Vesey Stewart, then the owner of the Bay of Plenty Times; and Henry Thomas Rowe, a surveyor and commission agent.[2] Rowe announced his retirement from the contest on 6 December three days out from election day, urging his supporters to vote for Stewart instead.[3] The unofficial results were released the day after the election (Saturday, 10 December) and Morris had a majority of 13 votes over Stewart, with the official declaration to be made on 12 December.[4] This was deferred until 14 December, with Morris ahead by 10 votes.[5] Stewart stood for the Tauranga mayoralty a few months later and was elected the town's first mayor.[6]

He represented the Tauranga electorate until 1885, when he resigned.[1]

He was later a member of the Legislative Council, from 15 May 1885 to 16 April 1903, when he died.[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wilson 1985, p. 221.
  2. ↑ "Nomination of Candidates for the Tauranga Electorate". Bay of Plenty Times X (1152). 30 November 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Bay of Plenty Times". Bay of Plenty Times X (1158). 7 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "The Bay of Plenty Times". Bay of Plenty Times X (1161). 10 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Declaration of the Poll for the Tauranga Electorate". Bay of Plenty Times X (1164). 14 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  6. ↑ Rorke, Jinty. "George Vesey Stewart". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved December 2011.
  7. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 159.

References