George Morris (New Zealand politician)

George Betham Morris (1840 – 16 April 1903) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from the Gisborne and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand.

He represented the East Coast electorate from 1876 (when he was declared elected on a petition) to 1879, when he was defeated.^[1]

The 1881 election in the newly formed Tauranga electorate was hotly contested. Four candidates were nominated: Morris; William Kelly, who had also previously represented the East Coast electorate; George Vesey Stewart, then the owner of the Bay of Plenty Times; and Henry Thomas Rowe, a surveyor and commission agent.^[2] Rowe announced his retirement from the contest on 6 December three days out from election day, urging his supporters to vote for Stewart instead.^[3] The unofficial results were released the day after the election (Saturday, 10 December) and Morris had a majority of 13 votes over Stewart, with the official declaration to be made on 12 December.^[4] This was deferred until 14 December, with Morris ahead by 10 votes.^[5] Stewart stood for the Tauranga mayoralty a few months later and was elected the town's first mayor.^[6]

He represented the Tauranga electorate until 1885, when he resigned.^[1]

He was later a member of the Legislative Council, from 15 May 1885 to 16 April 1903, when he died.^[7]

Notes

References

• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.