During this term, four Māori electorates were first established in 1867, and the first elections held in 1868.
Anyone attempting to form an administration thus had to win support directly from individual MPs.
This made first forming, and then retaining a government difficult and challenging.
With the increase in the number of Members of Parliament to 70, conditions became very crowded.
[1] The original building "grew like topsy" until the end of the 19th century, and was consumed by fire on 11 December 1907.
[4] In 1868, the first elections were held in the four Māori electorates that were created in the previous year.
[5] A few months before the 1866 general elections, Edward Stafford became Premier for the second time.
The third Fox Ministry was in place from 28 June 1869 to 10 September 1872, well into the term of the 5th Parliament.
This was a significant increase from the 43 electorates used in the previous (1860–1861) election, and resulted from the Representation Act 1865.
[12] a Moorhouse was elected in both the Mount Herbert and Westland electorates.
Moorhouse was elected in the Mount Herbert electorate on 22 February 1866.
[62] A by-election was held on 27 July 1866 and Thomas Potts was returned unopposed.
Macfarlan died on 9 October 1868[67] and was succeeded by John Thomas Peacock in a 2 November 1868 by-election.
Cowan himself resigned in the same year he got elected and was replaced by George Webster.
A new electorate (Westland Boroughs) was established, and Moorhouse was transferred to it.
He resigned in 1868, and William Henry Harrison won the resulting 1868 by-election.
Timothy Gallagher was its first representative, elected in the 9 April 1868 by-election.
Edmund Barff was its representative, elected in the 6 April 1868 by-election.
Tāreha Te Moananui was the first representative for the Eastern Maori electorate.
Frederick Nene Russell was the first representative for the Northern Maori electorate.
John Patterson was the first representative for the Southern Maori electorate.
Mete Kīngi Paetahi was the first representative for the Western Maori electorate.