The 1st New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand

Parliament of New Zealand

The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...

. It opened on 24 May 1854, following New Zealand's first general election

New Zealand general election, 1853

The 1853 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 1st term. It was the first national election ever held in New Zealand, although Parliament did not yet have full authority to govern the colony, which was part of the British Empire at...

 (held the previous year). It was dissolved on 15 September 1855 in preparation for that year's election

New Zealand general election, 1855

The 1855 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 2nd term. It was the second national election ever held in New Zealand, and the first one which elected a Parliament that had full authority to govern the colony.-Background:The first...

. 37 Members of the House of Representatives (MHRs) represented 24 electorates.

Parliamentary sessions

The Parliament sat for three sessions:

Session	from	to
First	24 May 1854	17 Aug 1854
Second	31 Aug 1854	16 Sep 1854
Third	8 Aug 1855	15 Sep 1855

New Zealand had not yet obtained responsible government

Responsible government

Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...

 (that is, the power to manage its own affairs), and so the 1st Parliament did not hold any significant power. At the start of the First Session it held a debate for two days that decided that New Zealand should have a single government, without provinces

Provinces of New Zealand

The Provinces of New Zealand existed from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. They were replaced by counties, which were themselves replaced by districts.Following abolition, the provinces became known as provincial districts...

.

The 1st Parliament was held before the creation of either political parties

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 or the office of Premier

Prime Minister of New Zealand

The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...

. There were, however, appointments made to the Executive Council

Executive Council of New Zealand

The Executive Council of New Zealand is the body which legally serves the functions of the Cabinet. It has a function similar to that served by the Privy Council in the United Kingdom...

 (the formal institution upon which Cabinet

New Zealand Cabinet

The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...

 is based). From 14 June 1854 to 2 August 1854, there was a four-person cabinet, New Zealand's first ministry, led by James FitzGerald

James FitzGerald

James Edward FitzGerald was a New Zealand politician. According to some historians, he should be considered the country's first Prime Minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor should properly be given that title. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand...

, with Henry Sewell

Henry Sewell

Henry Sewell was a prominent 19th century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first Premier, having led the Sewell Ministry in 1856.-Early life:Sewell was born on 7 September 1807 in the town of...

, Frederick Weld

Frederick Weld

Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...

, and Thomas Bartley

Thomas Houghton Bartley

Thomas Houghton Bartley was a New Zealand politician. As well as serving as Superintendent of Auckland Province, he served in the First New Zealand Parliament in 1854, representing the City of Auckland electorate...

 (a fifth member, Dillon Bell

Dillon Bell

Sir Francis Dillon Bell KCMG CB MLC was a New Zealand politician of the late 19th century. He served as New Zealand's third Minister of Finance , and later as its third Speaker of the House...

, also joined for a short time). Then, from 31 August 1854 to 2 September 1854, there was another four-person cabinet led by Thomas Forsaith

Thomas Forsaith

Thomas Spencer Forsaith, JP , was a New Zealand politician and an Auckland draper. According to some historians, he was the country's second Premier, although a more conventional view states that neither he nor his predecessor should properly be given that title.-Early life:Forsaith was born in...

, with James Macandrew

James Macandrew

James Macandrew was a New Zealand ship-owner and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1853 to 1887 and as the last Superintendent of Otago Province.-Early life:...

, William Travers, and Edward Jerningham Wakefield

Edward Jerningham Wakefield

Edward Jerningham Wakefield was the only son of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. He was born in London, and educated in England and France....

. Some historians consider FitzGerald and Forsaith to be New Zealand's first Prime Ministers, but neither held any formal leadership role, and since "responsible government" had not yet been obtained, they had little real power. Henry Sewell

Henry Sewell

Henry Sewell was a prominent 19th century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first Premier, having led the Sewell Ministry in 1856.-Early life:Sewell was born on 7 September 1807 in the town of...

, appointed shortly after the 2nd New Zealand Parliament

2nd New Zealand Parliament

The 2nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 15 April 1856, following New Zealand's 1855 election. It was dissolved on 5 November 1860 in preparation for 1860–61 election...

 opened, is more often considered to have been the first Prime Minister.
On 17 August 1854 when the newly convened House of Representatives met, Governor Wynard was proposing to prorogue the General Assembly as he had not received authority from London. Sewell

Henry Sewell

Henry Sewell was a prominent 19th century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first Premier, having led the Sewell Ministry in 1856.-Early life:Sewell was born on 7 September 1807 in the town of...

 wanted to continue debate and the suspension of standing orders was moved. The minority “Wakefieldites” (followers of Edward Gibbon Wakefield

Edward Gibbon Wakefield

Edward Gibbon Wakefield was a British politician, the driving force behind much of the early colonisation of South Australia, and later New Zealand....

) opposed the move, and tried to leave so that there would not be two-thirds of members present. This led to a violent turn when Sewell was reported to have pounced on the member for Nelson James Mackay

James Mackay (New Zealand politician)

James Mackay was a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the 1st New Zealand Parliament. He is remembered for the incident with Henry Sewell in Parliament in 1854.-Early life:Mackay was born in Scotland in 1804...

 and seized him by the throat. Suspension was moved an hour later when some members of the absent majority returned. Mackay was later found guilty of gross and premeditated contempt. There were moves to find the member from Dunedin James Macandrew

James Macandrew

James Macandrew was a New Zealand ship-owner and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1853 to 1887 and as the last Superintendent of Otago Province.-Early life:...

 guilty of contempt for entering the house with his hat on, but this was withdrawn.

The 1st Parliament consisted of thirty-seven representatives representing twenty-four electorates. Two regions of the colony (the inland regions of the lower North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

 and the northwest corner of the South Island

South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

) were not part of any electorate, and so were not represented.

Changes during term

There were few changes during the term of the 1st Parliament, with only three by-elections being held. There were six resignations and one death during 1855, and those seats remained vacant for the remainder of the term.

By-election	Electorate	Date	Incumbent	Reason	Winner
1854	Nelson Nelson (New Zealand electorate) Nelson is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. From 1853 to 1860, the electorate was called Town of Nelson. From 1860 to 1881, it was City of Nelson...	19 June	William Travers	Resignation	Samuel Stephens Samuel Stephens (New Zealand) Samuel Stephens was a 19th century New Zealand politician.He became the Member of Parliament in the 1st Parliament for the Town of Nelson from 19 June 1854, when he replaced William Travers, who had resigned on 26 May 1854 to contest the Waimea seat.He died on 26 June 1855, and the seat was left...
1854	Waimea Waimea (New Zealand electorate) Waimea was a parliamentary electorate in the Nelson Province of New Zealand, from 1853 to 1887.-Geographic coverage:Waimea was located in the northern part of the South Island, facing the Tasman Bay. It is the area around the town of Nelson, but excluded Nelson itself. It includes Wakefield,...	21 June	William Cautley William Cautley William Oldfield Cautley JP was a New Zealand politician. He served in the 1st New Zealand Parliament as representative for the Waimea electorate. He was elected in the 1853 general election, and Parliament's first session started on 24 May 1854. He resigned on 26 May 1854, and did not serve in...	Resignation	William Travers
1854 City of Auckland by-election, 1854 The City of Auckland by-election 1854 was a by-election held during the 1st New Zealand Parliament, on 4 August 1854. It was one the earliest by-elections in New Zealand political history and was triggered by the resignation of Thomas Houghton Bartley who took up a place in the Legislative Council....	City of Auckland	4 August	Thomas Bartley Thomas Houghton Bartley Thomas Houghton Bartley was a New Zealand politician. As well as serving as Superintendent of Auckland Province, he served in the First New Zealand Parliament in 1854, representing the City of Auckland electorate...	Resignation	William Brown William Brown (New Zealand) William Brown was a 19th century New Zealand politician.Brown was born in Angus, Scotland, in 1809 or 1810. He came to New Zealand on 2 February 1840, arriving in the Bay of Islands....

Christchurch Country
Stuart-Wortley resigned on 18 July 1855. His seat remained vacant.

City of Auckland
Bartley resigned on 11 July 1854. He was replaced by William Brown

William Brown (New Zealand)

William Brown was a 19th century New Zealand politician.Brown was born in Angus, Scotland, in 1809 or 1810. He came to New Zealand on 2 February 1840, arriving in the Bay of Islands....

, who was elected on 4 August 1854.

City of Wellington
Kelham resigned on 3 August 1855. His seat remained vacant.

Dunedin Country
Cutten resigned on 23 July 1855. His seat remained vacant.

Hutt
Ludlam resigned on 9 July 1855. His seat remained vacant.

Town of Nelson & Waimea
Cautley, MP for Waimea, and Travers, MP for Town of Nelson, both resigned on 26 May 1854. Travers subsequently contested the Waimea seat that Cautley had vacated, being elected on 21 June. Travers' own Nelson seat was won by Samuel Stephens

Samuel Stephens (New Zealand)

Samuel Stephens was a 19th century New Zealand politician.He became the Member of Parliament in the 1st Parliament for the Town of Nelson from 19 June 1854, when he replaced William Travers, who had resigned on 26 May 1854 to contest the Waimea seat.He died on 26 June 1855, and the seat was left...

on 19 June. Stephens died on 26 June 1855. His seat remained vacant.

Wairau
Weld resigned on 13 June 1855. His seat remained vacant.

Wanganui and Rangitikei
Featherston resigned on 9 August 1855. His seat remained vacant.