December 1870 Goldfields South colonial by-election

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Goldfields South on 12 December 1870 as a result of the Legislative Assembly declaring the election of Ezekiel Baker was void.[1] Baker had been appointed to conduct a Royal Commission to inquire into the laws and regulations of the goldfields and for securing a permanent water supply.[2] The Committee of Elections and Qualifications held that this appointment was an office of profit under the crown which meant he was incapable of being elected, or of sitting, or voting, as a member of the Assembly.[3]

  1. ^ Nairn, Bede (1969). "Baker, Ezekiel Alexander (1823–1912)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 3. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
  2. ^ "Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Working of the present Gold Fields Act and Regulations of New South Wales and into the best means of securing a permanent water supply for the Gold Fields of the Colony". State Records. Government of New South Wales. 31 October 1871. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  3. ^ Twomey, Anne (2004). The Constitution of New South Wales. Federation Press. pp. 442. ISBN 9781862875166. Retrieved 16 September 2020.