A CONVERT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 25, 29 January 1873, Page 4

A CONVERT.

To the Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail. Sir — I have only just seen a report of the dinner recently given to Mr Luckie, on perusing which I was greatly surprised to find that Mr Shephard in proposing the toast of the evening had expressed himself in the following terms : — { * One noticeable feature'in Mr Luckie's career in New Zealand had been his unflinching consistency." Now it had never occurred to me that " unflinching consistency " was one of the cardinal viltues in the opinion of Mr Shephard. I should c rather have supposed, judging from his conduct in the late session of the Assembly, that he was an admirer of doubt, uncertainty, hesitation, and unreliability. He is a man whom I should expect to bear addressed by anyone who could lay claim to " unflinching consistency "in the words that ot old were written to the church of the Laodiceans, " Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." For my own part I like a consistent man, and should entertain a far higher opinion of Mr Shephard if he were consistent in his inconsistency than I find myself able tq do when I see him professingto admireasa virtue that which from his actions we are led to believe he looks upon as a vice. Mr Shephard I fear belongs to that clas9 of preachers who say to us, " Do as I tell you, not as I do." If he approves so highly of '• unflinching consistency," why does he not practise it ? If he despises it, as every reader of Hansard of 1872 must presume is the case, why does he so laud it in others ? I am, &c, A Waimea Electoe. January 27, 1873.