Monro contested the Motueka seat in the 1871 elections, and was declared elected. A subsequent petition, however, overturned this result. The committee that made the ruling had a government majority, and some of its findings have been deemed "legally dubious" – many believe that the decision was taken for political reasons. Furthermore, a proposal to appoint Monro to the Legislative Council was blocked by Fox. Monro nevertheless succeeded in re-entering Parliament through a 1872 by-election in Waikouaiti. After the Fox government had been defeated, Monro resigned in 1873.