1878 Canadian federal election explained

Election Name:	1878 Canadian federal election
Country:	Canada
Flag Year:	1868
Type:	parliamentary
Ongoing:	no
Party Colour:	no
Party Name:	no
Previous Election:	1874 Canadian federal election
Previous Year:	1874
Next Election:	1882 Canadian federal election
Next Year:	1882
Seats For Election:	206 seats in the House of Commons
Majority Seats:	104
Turnout:	69.1%^[1] (0.5pp)
Election Date:	September 17, 1878
Elected Members:	4th Canadian Parliament
Outgoing Members:	3rd Canadian Parliament
Leader1:	John A. Macdonald
Leader Since1:	1867
Leaders Seat1:	Victoria
Last Election1:	65 seats, 30.1%
Seats1:	134
Seat Change1:	69
Popular Vote1:	229,191
Percentage1:	42.06%
Swing1:	11.96pp
Leader2:	Alexander Mackenzie
Leader Since2:	1873
Leaders Seat2:	Lambton
Last Election2:	129 seats, 39.5%
Seats2:	63
Seat Change2:	66
Popular Vote2:	180,074
Percentage2:	33.05%
Swing2:	6.45pp
Map Size:	380px
Map2 Image:	Chambre des Communes 1878.png
Map2 Size:	380px
Map2 Caption:	The Canadian Parliament after the 1878 election
Prime Minister
Posttitle:	Prime Minister after election
Before Election:	Alexander Mackenzie
After Election:	John A. Macdonald

The 1878 Canadian federal election was held on September 17, 1878, to elect members of the House of Commons of the 4th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the end of Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie's Liberal government after only one term in office. Canada suffered an economic depression during Mackenzie's term, and his party was punished by voters for it. The Liberals' policy of free trade also hurt their support with the business establishment in Toronto and Montreal.

Sir John A. Macdonald and his Conservative Party were returned to power after having been defeated four years before amidst scandals over the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

National results

Party	Party leader	of candidates	Seats			Popular vote
1874			Elected	Change		%	Change	Conservative	John A. Macdonald	101	38	85	+118.4%	143,192	26.28%	+7.80pp	Liberal-Conservative	60	26	49	+76.9%	85,999	15.78%	+3.50pp	Liberal		121	126	63	-54.8%	180,074	33.05%	-7.74pp	Independent		11	4	5	+25%	14,783	2.71%	-0.48pp	Independent Conservative		2	2	2	-	1,001	0.18%	-0.76pp	Unknown		117	-			114,043	20.93%	-1.93pp	Independent Liberal		4	1	1	+100%	5,388	0.99%	-	Nationalist Conservative		1		1		401	0.07%
Total			417	197	206	+3.6%	544,881	100.0%	-
Sources: http://www.elections.ca -- History of Federal Ridings since 1867

Note:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

Acclamations

The following Members of Parliament were elected by acclamation;

• British Columbia: 1 Conservative, 1 Liberal-Conservative
• Manitoba: 2 Conservatives, 1 Liberal-Conservative
• Quebec: 1 Conservative, 2 Liberal-Conservatives, 1 Liberal
• New Brunswick: 1 Liberal, 1 Independent

Results by province

Party name	BC	MB	ON	QC	NB	NS	PE	Total	Conservative	Seats:	1 <	--BC-->	2 <	--Man-->	37 <	--Ont-->	33 <	--Que-->	1<	--NB-->	8 <	--NS-->	3 <	--PEI-->	85<	--Canada/Total-->	Popular vote (%):	- <	--BC-->	49.6 <	--Man-->	25.5 <	--Ont-->	35.0 <	--Que-->	5.9 <	--NB-->	21.7 <	--NS-->	31.6 <	--PEI-->	26.3 <	--Canada/Total-->	Liberal-Conservative	Seats:	2 <	--BC-->	1 <	--Man-->	23 <	--Ont-->	12 <	--Que-->	3 <	--NB-->	6 <	--NS-->	2 <	--PEI-->	49 <	--Canada/Total-->	Vote (%):	39.6 <	--BC-->	- <	--Man-->	15.8 <	--Ont-->	13.2 <	--Que-->	14.3 <	--NB-->	22.7 <	--NS-->	12.0 <	--PEI-->	15.8 <	--Canada/Total-->	Liberal	Seats:	2 <	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	27 <	--Ont-->	17 <	--Que-->	9 <	--NB-->	7 <	--NS-->	1 <	--PEI-->	63 <	--Canada/Total-->	Vote (%):	- <	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	36.3 <	--Ont-->	21.7 <	--Que-->	48.2 <	--NB-->	34.9 <	--NS-->	37.2 <	--PEI-->	33.1 <	--Canada/Total-->	Independent	Seats:	1 <	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	1 <	--Ont-->	1 <	--Que-->	2 <	--NB-->	- <	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	5 <	--Canada/Total-->	Vote (%):	12.2 <	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	1.5 <	--Ont-->	1.6 <	--Que-->	13.1 <	--NB-->	4.3 <	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	2.7 <	--Canada/Total-->	Independent Conservative	Seats:	<	--BC-->	1 <	--Man-->	<	--Ont-->	1 <	--Que-->	<	--NB-->	<	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	2 <	--Canada/Total-->	Vote (%):	<	--BC-->	50.4 <	--Man-->	<	--Ont-->	0.7 <	--Que-->	<	--NB-->	<	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	0.2 <	--Canada/Total-->	Unknown	Seats:	<	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	<	--Ont-->	<	--Que-->	<	--NB-->	<	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	<	--Canada/Total-->	Vote (%):	48.2 <	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	19.9 <	--Ont-->	27.4 <	--Que-->	14.8 <	--NB-->	14.7 <	--NS-->	19.3 <	--PEI-->	20.9 <	--Canada/Total-->	Independent Liberal	Seats:	<	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	<	--Ont-->	<	--Que-->	1 <	--NB-->	- <	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	1 <	--Canada/Total-->	Vote (%):	<	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	1.0 <	--Ont-->	<	--Que-->	3.7 <	--NB-->	1.7 <	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	1.0 <	--Canada/Total-->	Nationalist Conservative	Seats:	<	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	<	--Ont-->	1 <	--Que-->	<	--NB-->	- <	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	1 <	--Canada/Total-->	Vote (%):	<	--BC-->	<	--Man-->	<	--Ont-->	0.3 <	--Que-->	<	--NB-->	<	--NS-->	<	--PEI-->	0.1 <	--Canada/Total-->
Total seats			6 <	--BC-->	4 <	--Man-->	88 <	--Ont-->		65 <	--Que-->	16 <	--NB-->	21 <	--NS-->	6 <	--PEI-->	206 <	--Canada/Total-->

Further reading

• Book: Argyle . Ray . Turning Points: The Campaigns that Changed Canada 2004 and Before . 2004 . White Knight Publications . Toronto . 978-0-9734186-6-8 . registration.

See also

• List of Canadian federal general elections
• 4th Canadian Parliament

Notes and References

1. Web site: Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums. Elections Canada. 10 March 2019.