Maryland free press., 1866-11-22
Extraordinary oratorical Feat.
A Legislator Speaks for Seventeen
g a.. Consecutive Hours

One of the most remarkable feats of endurance
in speaker. which we ever remember to have
heard of comes to US from Victoria, Vancouver s
Island, says the Examiner.
In the Legislative Assembly of that place, we
are told that Mr.. Leonard Mcclure spoke for sew
enteen hours without pausing or sitting down.
To those who are unacquainted with the circum-
stances this feat might not appear proper to
be placed in the same category with the exertions
of those ambitious pedestrians who, for wages,
walked thousand miles in thousand hours
1t may easily be supposed that McClure's speech
was not master piece of oratory, nor is it likely
that his inducement was greater than that which
moved Edmund Burke when, at the trial of War
rem Hastings, after pouring out for fourteen hours
q torrent of impassioned eloquence, the majestic
mind collapsedi under theI force of physical fa-
tigue, and he fell fainting n the arms of Sheri-
dan. But we know of no instance Of stubborn
tenacity equal to this of Mr.. Mcclure and the
cause was one which should make him famous
in the annals of the British colonies.
A year ago, large quantity of land in and
about Victoria was seized by the Government for
arrears of taxes, and was by it held on the un-
derstanding, expressed and published, that the
owrers could have and rspossess their lots by
paying the taxes due within twelve month af-
ter their seizure. But it became known few
days before the expir alton of the allotted term
that plot was on foot, hatched by the Govern
ment and backed by venal majority in the As
sembly, to pass bin authorizing the Executive
H
to repudiate its contracts with the landowners
refusing to accept payment of arrears, and sez-
upon and retaining possessi on of the disputed
lots. Two men in the House opposed the meas-
ure. Their names were Amos de Comes and
Leonard Mcclure. They knew that they had
nothing to hope from their compeers or from the
Government, and they prepared themselves ac-
cordingly. The House had made up its mind,
with these two EXCEPTIONS to rush through the
obnoxious bill on the day before the twelvemorth
expired. ..r.,,.,.. F.....t,,.
There was but one way to prevent this, and it
was adopted resolutely. On the House being
opened, Mr.. Mcclure rose to his feet the time be-
ing uooa, and kept the floor till five o'clock next
morning. For seucnteen hours he continued to
speak, while every effort was made by the pur-
chased majority to put him down and tire him
out. With merciless unanimity they refused
to allow him to lean against the table, to put his
foot upon chair for a moment to relieve him
self from the rksomeuess of his position by rest
ing his hand upon anything, or to spcrk, in
Short in any other than a rigidly erect and un-
supported attitude. During the whole ;of the
time they relieved each other at intervals going
out and procuring snch refreshments as they
needed and always leaving a quorum in the
house. When Mcclure sank exhausted into his
seat, as the light of another morning was steal-
ing into the windows ofthe assembly house, De
Comas rose, and for the rem lining seven hours
of the twenty-four, talked against time. On RI
sing, amid the groans and Kisses of the disgusten
and infuriated majority, he exclaimed with more
force than refinement, that it WIS useless for hon
orable members to evince their malice in that
manner, for he had gotnp with the determina-
ton to talk if necessary, until the angel Gabri-
ell sounded the last trump" His powers of. en-
durance were not so severely tested, but the end
was achieved, and when the clock struck twelve,
the worn and wearied champions Of honesty
looked round with {pardonable exultaton upon
the blank faces of bought and beaten assem-
bly.