A committee was formed under the chairmanship of (Thomas) Brooking and he visited London in January 1832 to urge the British Parliament to grant an elected Assembly to Newfoundland

On June 7, 1832, a Bill to grant a Representative Assembly to Newfoundland was introduced in the British Parliament. Governor Cochrane returned to Newfoundland from London on August 26 with the power to call for the election of members to a new House of Assembly and the election was proclaimed on September 25, 1832.

In order for a person to offer himself as a candidate, certain requirements had to be met. The candidate had to be male of twenty-one years of age or more, of sound understanding, and had to be a natural-born or lawfully naturalized British citizen. He could have no criminal record for any infamous or heinous crime. He also had to be a resident of two years' standing and had to occupy a dwelling as either owner or tenant. Voting was restricted to males under the same qualification except that the residency requirement was for one year.

..... Ferryland (1 member) ranging from Petty Harbour to Cape Race; .....

..... a Bill was introduced into the British House of Commons on May 26, 1842 .....

designed to allow changes in the Newfoundland Constitution to provide for the abolition of the Legislative Council as a separate body and to amalgamate it with the House of Assembly. The new Legislature would consist of fifteen elected and ten nominated members. There was also provision for a separate Executive Council. Membership was restricted to those who had an annual income of £100 or possessed real property of a value of £500. Voter qualifications were also modified; the residency requirement was  raised to two years from one, and voters in towns had to occupy a dwelling valued at £500 either as landlord or tenant and in outports to occupy a dwelling valued at 40s. Elections were also to be held simultaneously rather than spread out and at various times, as had been the case. After a tempestuous debate in the British House, the property restriction clause on voters was removed.

..... Bill was passed early in the Legislative session of 1854 .....

..... Burin, Ferryland and Twillingate and Fogo were increased to two members each; .....

In 1888 there was a new Election Act (51 Vic., c. 19) placed on the books.

It set the qualifications for candidates for election to the House of Assembly. Candidates had to have a net annual income of $480 or be in possession of real property exceeding $2,400 in value. The person also had to have been a resident of Newfoundland for two years, be a male British subject, twenty-one years of age or over, of sound understanding who held no criminal record. The same qualifications (except the monetary ones) applied to voters, and in addition, they could not have received welfare from public funds during the year immediately preceding the election.