1866 Helston by-election
The Helston by-election of 1866 was an election held on 1 May 1866 to return an MP for the constituency of Helston. The by-election was brought about due to the declaration that Adolphus Young's election in the 1865 United Kingdom general election was null and void due to bribery.[1] Two candidates contested the election: Robert Campbell (Liberal) and William Brett (Conservative). On the original count, both candidates received 153 votes but Campbell was declared the winner after the returning officer (the Mayor of Helston, Thomas Hyne Edwards)[2] who on the consultation of a legal textbook, made a casting vote.
The decision was appealed and a Commission decided the returning officer had no right to a deciding vote and should have declared both candidates elected.[3] Upon scrutiny, Brett was declared the winner after it was found that Campbell had received a vote from a local priest who did not have the right to vote.[4] This election led to Parliament deciding that "according to the law and usage of Parliament, it is the duty of the sheriff or other returning officer in England, in the case of an equal number of votes being polled for two or more candidates at an election, to return all such candidates".[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | William Brett | 153 | 50.2 | +1.9 | |
| Liberal | Robert Campbell | 152 | 49.8 | −1.9 | |
| Majority | 1 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 305 | 87.6 | +2.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 348 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.9 | |||
See also
References
- ^ "Helston". The Scotsman. 19 April 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 17 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Former Mayors - Meryon Gyns". Helston Town Council. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ a b Frederick Walter Scott Craig (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885. Springer. p. 148-149. ISBN 9781349023493.
- ^ "HELSTON ELECTION. HC Deb 05 July 1866 vol 184 cc715-7". Hansard. 5 July 1866. Retrieved 14 June 2020.