1904 Cape Colony parliamentary election

Elections for the House of Assembly were held in Cape Colony in 1904. The election was a victory for the Progressives under Leander Starr Jameson, who had first achieved prominence for his role in the ill-fated Jameson Raid.^[1]

Quick facts All 95 seats in the Assembly 48 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1904 Cape Colony parliamentary election

← 1898 January & February 1904 1908 â†’
All 95 seats in the Assembly 48 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Leander Starr Jameson James Tennant Molteno Party Progressive South African Party Leader's seat Grahamstown Somerset East Seats won 50 42 Seat change 6
Green - Cape Progressive Party Blue - South African Party Grey - Independent
Prime Minister before election Gordon Sprigg Independent Progressive Elected Prime Minister Leander Starr Jameson Progressive

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The incumbent Prime Minister Gordon Sprigg had been elected in 1898 as a Progressive, however the Progressives had been wracked by internal divisions. Whilst most of the party had been able to reconcile under Jameson, Sprigg and his Commissioner of Public Works Arthur Douglass, had been forced to contest the election as Independent Progressives. Both of them would lose their seats to Progressive candidates. The election also saw former Prime Minister William Schreiner lose his seat.^[2][3] Sprigg would resign as Prime Minister some days after the last results were announced, and was succeeded by Jameson.^[4] Following the election James Tennant Molteno would be replaced by John X. Merriman as leader of the South African Party.

Thirteen constituencies were uncontested.^[5] Following the election of 95 members, Act 4 was passed, which gave a further twelve seats to the House. These were elected through by-elections in the same year.^[5]