The Second Parliament of Ontario was in session from March 21, 1871, until December 23, 1874, just prior to the 1875 general election.
The majority party was the Ontario Liberal Party led by Edward Blake, whose Cabinet succeeded as Government when incumbent John Sandfield Macdonald and his Patent Combination Ministry fell December 20, 1871; Oliver Mowat replaced Blake as premier in October 25, 1872, after an act was passed by the Ontario Parliament which prohibited a member from holding a seat in the Legislative Assembly while holding a seat in the Dominion Parliament, a so-called "dual mandate". Blake chose to serve as federal Leader of the Opposition instead of remaining as Premier. Mowat's Cabinet was largely similar to Blake's in composition.
Richard William Scott served as speaker for the assembly until he was named to cabinet on December 21, 1871. James George Currie succeeded Scott as speaker, serving until his resignation on March 29, 1873. Rupert Mearse Wells then succeeded Currie as speaker.[1]
There were 82 seats in the second legislature, 56 in the Liberal stronghold of Western Ontario, and 26 in much more conservative Eastern Ontario.