Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-11-20
Extraordinary oratorioal Feat.
4 Legislator Speaks for ssUeuteen coasec..-
tue Hours.


One of the most remarkable feats Of On,
darance in aspeaker which we ever remem.
Der to have heard of comes to us from Vic.
torla, yancouver's Island, says the E:rGn,f.
mer. In the Legislative Assembly of that
place, we are told that Mr.. Leonard Mcclure
spoke tor seventeen hours without pausino or
sitting down. To those who are unacouaint-
ed with the circumstances, this feat mi%bt mot
appear proper to be placed in the same cate-
CORY with the excrtions of those ambitions
pedestrians who, for wagers, walked a thou
sand miles in thousand hours 1t NAV easi
ly be supposed that McClure's speech could
not have been master piece of oratory. nor
Is 1t likely that his indueement was greater
than that which moved Edmund Burke when.
at thetrlal of Warren Hastings, after potirinT
out Tor fourteen hours torrent of inlpassion
ed eloquencc, the majestic mind coIlapsed
under the force of physical fatigue. ana he
fell talnting IN the arms of Sheridan. But
we know OF no instance of stubborn tenacitv
equal to this of Mr.. Mcclure. aud the cause
was one which should make him famous in
the annals of.tho British colonies.
"A year ago large quantity of land in and
about Victoria WAS seized by the Government
Tor arrears of taxes, and was by it held on the
understanding, expressed and published, that
the owners could have and rep0ssess their lots
by paying the taxes due within a twelve month
alter their seizure. But it became known n
few days before the expiration of the allotted
term that plot was on foot, hatched bv the
Government and backed by venal majority
IN the House Of Assembly, to pass bill au.
thorizing the Executive to repudiate its con
tracts with the landowners refusing to ac.
cept paymene of arrears, and 'seizinp upon
ana retaining permanently the disputed lois.
Two men IN the House opposed the measure.
Ihelr names were Amos de Comes and Leon
ard Mcclure. They knew that thew had
nothing to hope from their compeers or from
the Government, and they prepared them,
selves accordingly. The House had made up
Its mind, with these two exceptions, to rush
through this obnoxious bill on the day before
the twelvemonth expired
There was but one way to prevent this, and
1t was adopted resolutely. On the house
being opened, Mr. Mcclure rose to his feet.
the time being noon, aud kept the floor until
. O'Clock next morning, For seventeen hours
he continued to speak, while every effort vas
made by the purchased majority to put him
down and tire him out. With a merciless
unanItnlty they refused to allow him to lean
against the table, to put his foot upon a chair
tor moment, to relieve himself from the
lrksomcness Of his position by resting his
hand upon anything, or to speak, in short in
any other than rigidly erect and unsupport-
ed attitude. During the whole of the time
they relieved each other at intervals, going
out and procuring such refreshments as thew
needed, and always leaving a quorum in the
house. When Mcclure sank exhausted into
his seat, as the light of another morning was
Stealing into the windows of the assembly
house, De Comos rose, and for the remaining
seven hours OF the twenty>four talked against
time. On rising, amid the groans and misses
OF the disguised and infuriated majority, he
exclaimed with more force than refinement,
that it was useless for honorable members to
evlnce their malice in that manner, for he
had got up with the determination to talk, if
necessary, until the angel Gabriel sounded
the last trump" His powers of endurance
were. not quiteso severely tested, but the. end
was. achieved, aud when the clock struck
twelve, the Worn and wearied champions of
honesty looked round with pardonabIe exulta-
tion upon the blank faces of bought and
beaten assembly.