By-elections to the 4th Canadian Parliament were held to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada between the 1878 federal election and the 1882 federal election. The Conservative Party of Canada led a majority government for the 4th Canadian Parliament.
The list includes Ministerial by-elections which occurred due to the requirement at the time that Members of Parliament recontest their seats upon being appointed to Cabinet. These by-elections were almost always uncontested. This requirement was abolished in 1931. By-election Date Incumbent Party Winner Party Cause RetainedNew WestminsterMarch 9, 1882Thomas Robert McInnes Independent Joshua Homer Liberal-Conservative Called to the Senate.NoSimcoe SouthFebruary 16, 1882William Carruthers Little Liberal-Conservative Angus McIsaac Conservative DeathYesNorthumberland WestDecember 19, 1881James Cockburn ConservativeGeorge Guillet ConservativeAppointed Chairman of the Commission to collect, examine and classify the Statutes passed by the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada, since ConfederationYesArgenteuilAugust 17, 1881John Joseph Caldwell Abbott Liberal-ConservativeJohn Joseph Caldwell Abbott Liberal-Conservative Election declared void.YesPictorJune 18, 1881James McDonald ConservativeJohn McDougald Liberal-ConservativeAppointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.YesColchesterJune 18, 1881Thomas McKay Liberal-Conservative Archibald McLelan ConservativeCalled to the Senate.YesColchesterMarch 31, 1881Joshua Spencer Thompson Liberal-Conservative James Reid Liberal-ConservativeDeathYesNorthumberland EastMarch 25, 1881Joseph Keeler Liberal-Conservative Darius Crouter Independent LiberalDeathNoBellechasseMarch 19, 1881Achille Larue Liberal Guillaume Amyot ConservativeElection declared void.NoCharlevoixMarch 19, 1881Joseph-Stanislas Perrault Conservative Simon-Xavier Cimon ConservativeElection declared void.YesCarletonFebruary 16, 1881George Heber Connell IndependentDavid Irvine Liberal DeathNoJolietteDecember 9, 1880Louis François Georges Baby ConservativeLewis Arthur McConville ConservativeAppointed a judge of the Superior Court of QuebecYesOxford NorthDecember 9, 1880Thomas Oliver Liberal James Sutherland Liberal DeathYesMontmorencyDecember 9, 1880Auguste-Réal Angers ConservativePierre-Vincent Valin ConservativeAppointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec.YesQuebec CountyNovember 20, 1880Adolphe-Philippe Caron ConservativeAdolphe-Philippe Caron ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Militia and Defence.YesBagotNovember 20, 1880Joseph-Alfred Mousseau ConservativeJoseph-Alfred Mousseau ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as President of the Privy Council.YesBromeOctober 18, 1880Edmund Leavens Chandler Liberal David Ames Manson Liberal-ConservativeDeathNoSelkirkSeptember 10, 1880Donald Smith Independent Conservative Thomas Scott ConservativeElection declared void.NoOntario NorthAugust 28, 1880George Wheler Liberal George Wheler Liberal Election declared void.YesWest TorontoAugust 28, 1880John Beverly Robinson Conservative James Beaty, Jr. ConservativeAppointed Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.YesChâteauguayApril 17, 1880Luther Hamilton Holton Liberal Edward Holton Liberal DeathYesMontmorencyFebruary 14, 1880Pierre-Vincent Valin ConservativeAuguste-Réal Angers ConservativeElection declared void.YesArgenteuilFebruary 12, 1880Thomas Christie Liberal John Joseph Caldwell Abbott Liberal-Conservative Election declared void.NoCornwallJanuary 27, 1880Darby Bergin Liberal-ConservativeDarby Bergin Liberal-Conservative Election declared void.YesLanark NorthJanuary 22, 1880Daniel Galbraith Liberal Donald Greenfield MacDonell Liberal DeathYesProvencherDecember 30, 1879Joseph Dubuc ConservativeJoseph Royal ConservativeAppointed a Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench for Manitoba.YesDurham WestNovember 17, 1879Harvey William Burk Liberal Edward Blake Liberal Resignation to provide a seat for Blake. YesCape BretonOctober 23, 1879Hugh McLeod Liberal-ConservativeWilliam Mackenzie McLeod Liberal-ConservativeDeathYesYaleSeptember 29, 1879Edgar Dewdney ConservativeFrancis Jones Barnard ConservativeAppointed Indian Commissioner of Manitoba and the North West Territories.YesBonaventureAugust 26, 1879Théodore Robitaille ConservativePierre-Clovis Beauchesne ConservativeAppointed Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.YesYamaskaJuly 7, 1879Charles-Ignace Gill ConservativeFabien Vanasse dit Vertefeuille ConservativeAppointed a judge to the Quebec Superior Court.YesNiagaraMarch 20, 1879Patrick Hughes Liberal Josiah Burr Plumb ConservativeElection declared void. NoHastings EastFebruary 25, 1879John White Conservative John White ConservativeElection declared void. YesCharlevoixFebruary 13, 1879Pierre-Alexis Tremblay Liberal Joseph-Stanislas Perrault ConservativeDeathNoBeauharnoisJanuary 9, 1879Michael Cayley ConservativeJoseph Gédéon H. Bergeron ConservativeDeathYesMarquetteNovember 30, 1878John A. Macdonald Liberal-ConservativeJoseph O'Connell Ryan Liberal MacDonald was elected in several seats simultaneously, resigned to run in Ministerial by-election in Victoria.NoThree RiversNovember 21, 1878William McDougall ConservativeHector-Louis Langevin Conservative Resignation to provide a seat for Langevin.YesJolietteNovember 14, 1878Louis François Georges Baby ConservativeLouis François Georges Baby ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Inland Revenue.YesQueens CountyNovember 9, 1878James Colledge Pope ConservativeJames Colledge Pope ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Marine and Fisheries.YesHastings NorthNovember 6, 1878Mackenzie Bowell ConservativeMackenzie Bowell ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Customs.YesTerrebonneNovember 6, 1878Louis-Rodrigue Masson ConservativeLouis-Rodrigue Masson ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Militia and Defence.YesCity of St. JohnNovember 4, 1878Samuel Leonard Tilley Liberal-ConservativeSamuel Leonard Tilley Liberal-ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Finance.YesPictouNovember 4, 1878James McDonald ConservativeJames McDonald ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.YesRussellNovember 4, 1878John O'Connor ConservativeJohn O'Connor ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as President of the Privy Council.YesComptonNovember 4, 1878John Henry Pope Liberal-ConservativeJohn Henry Pope Liberal-ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Agriculture.YesCumberlandNovember 4, 1878Charles Tupper ConservativeCharles Tupper ConservativeRecontested upon appointment as Minister of Public Works.YesHuron CentreNovember 2, 1878Horace Horton Liberal Richard John Cartwright Liberal Appointment in the office of the Auditor-General of Canada.Yes
See also List of federal by-elections in Canada
Sources Parliament of Canada–Elected in By-Elections