Town of Nelson from 1857 to 1861. In the 1st New Zealand Parliament, the Town of Nelson was a two-member electorate. On nomination day on 25 July 1853, William Travers and Mackay were the only candidates put forward. They were thus declared elected unopposed. Mackay served until the end of the first term in 1855, but did not serve in any subsequent Parliaments. Mackay is noted for his support of the Acting Governor, Robert Wynyard, who argued that it was not possible for Parliament to assume responsibility for governing New Zealand without royal assent. When Parliament disagreed, Wynyard officially prorogued it. Parliament responded by suspending its own standing orders. These orders required that messages from the Governor take precedence over other Parliamentary business. With the standing orders overturned, Wynyard's message could remain officially "unopened" while Parliament continued to function. Mackay, part of the minority who supported Wynyard, attempted to bypass this tactic by presenting a copy of The New Zealand Gazette which contained the prorogation order, shouting "you are no House, you are prorogued!". He then attempted to disrupt the business of Parliament until Henry Sewell (later to become New Zealand's first Premier) and another MP attempted to manhandle him out of the debating chamber. Mackay managed to escape, and (in the words of a contemporary) "beat an honourable retreat over the rail into the stranger's gallery, waving defiance to his assailants with his trusty umbrella." Mackay was later found guilty of "gross and premeditated contempt of the House". Later life and death Mackay was a close friend of the Native Secretary Donald McLean. Through his contact he assisted his eldest son, James Mackay junior, to enter Government service. James junior became an Assistant Native Secretary in 1857, and from 1859 to 1860 purchased Kaikoura and the West Coast from Maori on behalf of the General Government. In 1863 he became commissioner for the Hauraki District, in 1867 he opened the Thames district for gold mining, and in 1875 he extended the goldfield by negotiating with Maori for access to the Ohinemuri district. He also acted as a general trouble shooter for the Government during times of conflict with the Maori of the North Island. The eldest of the two nephews raised by Mackay, Alexander, also entered Government service. He was appointed commissioner of Native Reserves (firstly for the South Island then for the entire country), commissioner of the South