THE MEMBER FOR RANGITIKEI.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 24, 6 September 1882, Page 3

THE MEMBER FOR RANGITIKEI.

o '' The Stranger," in the Saturday Advertiser, (Dunedin) thus sj.e;fks of Mr John - tevens, and the position he occupied during the no- confidence drh-»fc : — Tiie cau'i'.-us, cute, far-seeing, and : nf< J lliii-ent member ior li.uigitikoi, Mr >t 'v-ciis, stood out. .is firm as a rock until rhe final movement. Jack Stevens was reckoned upon by both parties, nnd the manner in which his company was courted in the lobbies dining the debate must have been very gratifying indeed to the recipient of such hoii"ur. Jack — his friends ca'l him Jack, and f feel sure that if he only knew me. lie would count me among bis friends — Jack Stevens belongs to a party of members wbo may he termed tbe Light Brigade of the House He belongs to the same set ns Mr Seymour Geo-ge, Mr A MacDonald, and a few other congenial spirits. He is a good-looking young man, with a pleasant manner and a capital style ot speaking. Mr •Mevt-ns is, I understand, a native of the colony, and be can speak Maori with the fluei.cy of Honi Mohi Tawhai. lie is aspiring andambiti un, and this faet, coupled with bis Iriendsliip for Messrs George and M'Donald, warranted the < 'pposition to expect bis support. If a new. v oven. ment. wei\e. formed it must, h;ive bad a Native Minister, and what man in the House: : was better cut out for it than Jack •Stevens/ >ome one irigbt suggest Johnny Hieehan, but Johnny "bad previously pledged himself not to uike office. Well, Mr Stevens wav ered between ooth parties until Friday ni£_ht. In tlie words of the old song, ' He never told his love'' until the climax was about to take place. I have good authority for stating that had tbe division been forced by the Opposition on Thursday night Mr Stevens would have been bagged. Mr George had taken charge of the undecided patriot on the previous evening, but somehow or other he slipped from the member for Rodney'6 bands and fell in^o the enemy's nets, in the "wee sma' hours" of Friday morning, when the leader of the Opposition was panting with eagerness to go to the test at once, Captain Morris approached Mr Stevens, and m accents soft and low begged of him to move the adjournment of the debate. From tbat moment the game was up. Jack moved the adjournment ; Jack spent all that day in prayer, and meditation ; and the light at length dawned upon his awakened spirit. He pondered' he reasoned, he investigated all sid^s oi the question, and after careful consideration and mature deliberation he arrived .at- the conclusion that he would vote for the Government and save jhe, r coun try,