In October 1894 the Elections and Qualifications Committee conducted a re-count of the 1894 Grenfell election, in which George Greene had been declared elected by a margin of 2 votes over Michael Loughnane .[1] The Elections and Qualifications Committee consisted of 9 members, 5 (Thomas Bavister, William McMillan, Philip Morton, Varney Parkes and Bernhard Wise) and four (Paddy Crick, James Gormly, James Hayes, and Francis Wright).[2]
The committee declared that George Greene had not been elected the member for Grenfell, however no by-election was conducted. Instead the committee declared that Michael Loughnane based on its own count of the result.
| Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 July 1894 | 1894 Grenfell election | |
| 7 August 1894 | George Green sworn in as member for Grenfell | |
| Elections and Qualifications Committee appointed. | ||
| 26 September 1894 | Petition lodged by Michael Loughnane.[3] | |
| 9 October 1894 | Petition referred to the Elections and Qualifications Committee. | |
| 25 October 1894 | Elections and Qualifications Committee declared that Michael Loughlane had been elected. |
This was the 6th and final occasion on which the Elections and Qualifications Committee overturned the result of an election without ordering a fresh election. A public meeting at Grenfell expressed indignation at the unfairness of the decision. The meeting called for the abolition of the parliamentary Elections and Qualifications Committee and its replacement by a tribunal outside of parliament.[4] The committee continued however until 1928 when the Court of Disputed Returns was established as a special jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.[5]
Michael Loughnane only held the seat for 8 months, as he did not stand for the 1895 Grenfell election and George Greene regained the seat.[6]