John Stevens (1845 – 31 July 1916) was a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

Member of Parliament in New Zealand.

Biography

Early life

Stevens was born in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

in 1845. Stevens moved north and resided in first the Rangitikei then Manawatu districts from 1854. He made a living in agricultural until 1873, when he was hired by Henry Russell as an assistant and interpreter during a Native Lands Alienation Commission at Napier. He pursued an occupation as a Maori interpreter and land agent, then began an auctioneering and land agency in 1875.

Member of Parliament

Stevens represented the Rangitikei electorate from 1881 to

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

when he was defeated, and then from

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

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. He unsuccessfully contested the electorate in the . Stevens contested the 1892 Rangitikei by-election as an

Independent Liberal Independent Liberal is a description allowed in politics to denote party affiliation. It is used to designate a politician as a liberal, yet independent of the official Liberal Party of a country. Those parties were the Liberal Party of Canada, ...

as the

was reluctant to endorse him in light of the recent Bruce by-election in which the candidate the Liberal Party endorsed lost by a large margin. Stevens lost by only 61 votes. He later returned to parliament, representing the Manawatu electorate from

to 1902 when he was defeated, and from

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

to 1908 when he was again defeated. Stevens served as the Liberal Party's Senior Whip from 1900 until 1902.

Later life

In his later years, he had become blind and his lower limbs were paralysed, but he was in good spirits and would not allow others to sympathise with him. He was in the midst of a conversation with friends when he leaned back and died on 31 July 1916.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, John 1845 births 1916 deaths New Zealand Liberal Party MPs New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Unsuccessful candidates in the 1884 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1890 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1902 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1908 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1887 New Zealand general election 19th-century New Zealand politicians