Kent (Province of Canada electoral district)

In the first general election in 1841, the returning officer declined to make a return declaring a candidate elected.^[8] The contest was between Joseph Woods, a Compact Tory, and Samuel Harrison, one of the leaders of the Reform movement. At the close of the six days of open voting, Woods led the poll by forty-nine votes and was declared elected by the returning officer from the husting. Harrison and his supporters then demanded that the returning officer conduct a scrutiny, arguing that Harrison had the majority of legal voters. Woods refused to participate in the proposed scrutiny, and instead brought a petition in the Assembly on June 10, 1841, the opening day of the session, challenging the returning officer's failure to make a return of the writ.^[9] On June 17, 1841, the Assembly reviewed the petition and concluded that Woods should be seated.^[10][11]

The district was abolished on July 1, 1867, when the British North America Act, 1867 came into force, creating Canada and splitting the Province of Canada into Quebec and Ontario.^[12] It was succeeded by electoral districts of the same name in the House of Commons of Canada^[13] and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.^[14]

This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: An act for the better division of this province, SUC 1798 (38 Geo. III), c. 5, s. 38.