1860 Colony of Vancouver Island election

A total of 13 members were elected to the Second House of Assembly of Vancouver Island, which sat from March 1, 1860, to February 27, 1863. The members were elected over a number of weeks in January with each constituency holding its election on a different day.

The election did not have political parties but did feature two factions. One was made up of men connected with the Hudson's Bay Company and close to Governor James Douglas and the other of reformers led by the British Colonist editor Amor De Cosmos. The reform faction lost in most cases and Amor De Cosmos used his newspaper to claim the election was not run fairly. Of particular concern to De Cosmos was that the 'coloured' people voted primarily for the HBC candidates. The information on who is from which faction is from information in the British Colonist, which was not neutral.

Constituencies
George Hunter Cary, 137
 * Victoria Town – 2 to be elected

Selim Franklin, 106

Amor De Cosmos, 91 Reformer

William Fraser Tolmie, 44 HBC
 * Victoria District – 3 to be elected

Henry Pering Pellew Crease, 39 HBC resigned October 18, 1861, replaced by Joseph William Trutch on November 26, 1861

Alfred Pendrell Waddington, 35 Reformer, resigned October 15, 1861, replaced by James Trimble

James Yates, 14 Reformer

C. A. Bayley, 14 Reformer

John Sebastian Helmcken, 36 HBC
 * Esquimalt County – 2 to be elected

James Cooper, 22 Reformer resigned July 27, 1860, replaced by Robert Burnaby

Thomas James Skinner, 21 Ind

George Tomline Gordon, 27 resigned and was replaced by Thomas Harris March 31, 1862. He resigned on September 9, 1862, and was replaced by William Cocker.
 * Esquimalt Town

James Cooper, 10 – also ran in Esquimalt County and was elected there.

George Foster Foster, 32
 * Lake District

Captain Duncan, 7

William John McDonald, Reformer elected by acclamation
 * Sooke District

John Coles, won by acclamation
 * Saanich

Joseph Johnson Southgate, 11
 * Saltspring and Chemainus District

John Copland, 4

Augustus Rupert Green, (unknown if he faced an opponent) resigned February 6, 1861, replaced on November 4, 1861, by David Babington Ring
 * Nanaimo District