1903 Dulwich by-election
The Dulwich by-election, 1903 was a by-election held on 15 December 1903 for the British House of Commons constituency of Dulwich in South London.
Vacancy
The by-election was triggered by the death of the serving Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP), Sir John Blundell Maple.
Candidates
- The Unionist (Conservative) candidate was Dr Frederick Rutherfoord Harris, who had previously been elected MP for Monmouth Boroughs in the 1900 general election but was disqualified the next year as a result of an election petition alleging irregularities.
- The Liberal Party candidate was Charles Masterman.
Campaign
The main issue in the by-election, as with the Lewisham by-election held on the same day, was tariff reform. Harris was a supporter of Joseph Chamberlain's proposals for Imperial Preference and was supported by the Tariff Reform League. Masterman was a supporter of the Liberal party policy of Free trade. Harris's involvement in the Jameson Raid affair was raised by his opponents.
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Frederick Rutherfoord Harris | 5,819 | 57.0 | ||
| Liberal | Charles Masterman | 4,382 | 43.0 | ||
| Majority | 1,437 | 14.0 | |||
| Turnout | 10,201 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- ^ The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 158 (182 in web page)
- The Times, 16 December 1903
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs