incumbent, would certainly win against the two others, as they were both conservatives and the vote would be split between them. One of the conservatives should thus withdraw from the contest, and the editor thought that Arkwright had the better chances. On the same day, Arkwright had a mixed reception at a meeting with electors at Halcombe. An amendment for a vote of confidence in Arkwright resulted in some dispute amongst the attendees. By mid July, Arkwright had withdrawn from the contest, and Bruce went on to defeat Stevens. The in the Rangitikei electorate was again contested by Bruce, Stevens and Arkwright, with Bruce obtaining the majority during the show of hands during the nomination meeting in Marton. In an address to electors at Bulls, Arkwright lectured on the benefits of free trade. Apparently, Arkwright was better received by the electors, but Stevens was seen as the favourite. In the end, Bruce obtained 716 votes, a considerable margin over the 492 votes for Stevens, with Arkwright coming a distant third at 213 votes. The in the Rangitikei electorate was contested by Arkwright and Douglas Hastings Macarthur, who had been the representative for the neighbouring electorate since 1884. Both candidates were well received during meetings with the electors. The Feilding Star in an editorial suggested that there are more policy agreements between the candidates than differences, but endorsed Macarthur. In the end, Macarthur achieved a narrow victory, with 978 vs 946 votes, a majority of 32. Arkwright was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council on 13 December 1895. At the end of the seven-year term, he was reappointed on 13 December 1902. He resigned from the Legislative Council on 23 July 1906. Return to England The Arkwrights and their daughter left New Zealand via Wellington on 30 December 1905 to permanently reside in England. He resigned from the Legislative Council after he had returned to England. Apparently, he missed the hunting and shooting opportunities that were available to him in the 'Old Country', and he undertook yearly expeditions into the Scottish sporting districts. He died on 1 March 1915 at Bournemouth from pneumonia, survived by his wife and daughter. Notes References External links 1846 births 1915 deaths People educated at Eton College Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1874–1880 Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council New Zealand Freemasons Unsuccessful candidates in the