, 1866-11-13
Extraordinary OratartcA1 Fent-

Ono nft!le most remarkable fcnts Of cndor-
auce In nspeakcr, which VIC ever remcmneI 10
ria. Vancouvcr's Island. In the Legislative
Assembly OF that place, We arc told thas Mr.
lenord Mcclure spoke for seventeen nours
Without pausing or sittfn. down; To those
who ase uDacqusinied WIN lne cnsu
te placed in The same category with tue e.
crtion Of thnsc ambitious pedestrians VINO, |
for wagcrs, walk thousand miles In thou:
sand hours. It may easily be supposed
hcen a masterpiece Of oratory, nor is It like
u that his induceMcnt Was greater tnhn
thnt which moved Edmund Bu1k when at tho
trial Of Edmund Hastings. after pouring out
for fourteen hours q torrent OF impassionea
| cIeuuencc, the majestic mind collapsed IN.
! der the force of physical fatigue, and he lell
1u,utipc in the arms Of Sheridan. But no
| know CT no instance Of stubborn tcoacy
4 equal to this Of Mr. McCluze's, and the canse
| was one which should make him famous IN
the annals of tho British Colonies:
year aso large quantity OF land IN ana
about Vic:orin was seized by the Government
tor arrears Of taxes, and was BY l. held On Inc
understanding, expressed aud puhllshoa' iult
the owners could have and repossess tsetF
lots By rayiug thc taxes due within twelve
month aftcr their seizure. But It became
known q fow days before the expiration Of
the allotted Term TINT plot WAS on 1901.
hnteed BY ths o,srnmenl ana sassg1 0ssmhy ~
to pass bill authorizing the Executive 70
5cpcuiatc lis contracts " ith the land o~ncFt,
rciusing 10 accept payment OF nrrears. ana
eetzing upon md retaining permanently tne
disputed lots. Two men IN the House o9-
! posed the measure, Thcirna we're Amos de
: Comos and Leonard Mcclure. Thcy knew
: that they Ind not ling to hope from thsii
: con,peerb or from tho Government. ana thcf
Q prepared themselves accordingly. The House
T. had made up its mind, with these two eX
/ ceptions, to rush through this obnoxious hil
h on the day bctorr the tWelvcmonth expired.
{ There Was but one waJ 10 prevent luis, AMI
it was adopted rcsolutely- On tho lioQse be
y ing opened, Mr. Mcclure rose 20 hls leet
{ the time being noon, and kept the floor un
a til fire o'clock next morning. For sevcntoel
n hours be continued TO speak, while every el
d tort was made By the purchased majority Y
= nut him down and tire Inn out. WITH mel
lean against the table, 10 put his feet upon
10 chair ior a moment, 70 relieve him from irk
Il romcncss Of h1s position by resting bis han
+ upon any thing, or to speak, In short, ID On
,r Other than rigid erect and unsppporlea =. =
a. relieved each other at intervals, going out an
St procuring such refreshments as they needed
~ and nlu ays left a quorum IN the uons'
When Mcclure eaHk exhausted Into hts eea s;
il, rs the light Of mother morning was steahn 2
,e into the windows Of the Assembly House, U
Of Comos rose and for the remaining seye
re hours Of the twenty. four talked agalns
e. time. On rising, amid the groana an
ID majority, he exclaimed with more fart
dc tban refinement, that II was use,c
is Tor honorable members TO evtnee the
Is malice in that manner, for he had got
or until The angel Gsbriel sounded the Ia
m. trump.'' His powers Of endurance were \
#, Guile 60 severely tested, but the end Vi
I'M achieved, and when the clock struck twel
tle worn AID wearied champions u hohes
ev fontrd round with rdouablc cxultatton up
! the blank faces OF bought and beaten :
fur | ecmbIy.