The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-04-10
Extraordinafy OraloricaI Feat
Il2AsLegislatOr Speaks for Sew
zenieen consecutive Hours.

One Of the most remarkable feats Of
endurance in speaker which we ever re- |
member to have heard Of comes to us
from Victoria, Vancouver's Island, says
the E.famiasr., In The legislative Assem-.
bly, Of that place, we are told that Mr..
Leonard Mcclure spoke seventeen hoThs
without spausiDg or sitting down. To
those yhI are ' equaiuted with the cir
camstances, this sfeat might not appear
proper to be placed in the same category
with the exertions Of those ambitious pc.
destrians who, for wagers, walked thou.
send miles in thousand hours. II may
easily be supposed that McClure's speech
could not have been masterpiece of Or
atory, nor is it likely that his induce
msnt was greater than-that which moved
Edmund Burke when, at the trial Of
Warren Hastings, after pouring out for
fourteen hours torrent Of impassionate
s!oquence, the majestic mind collapsed
under the force Of physical fatigue, and
he fell fainting in the arms of Sheridan.
But we know of no instance Of stubborn
tsnacity equal to this Of Mr.. Mcclure,
and the cause was one which should make
him famous 10 the annals Of the British
colonies.
A ysag ago large quantity Of land IN
and about Victoria was seized by the Gov.
ernment for arrears Of taxes, and was by
it held on the understanding, expressed
and published, that the owners could have
and repossess their lots by paying the
taxes due within twelvemonth after their
seizure. But it became known a few
days before the expiration Of the allotted
term that plot was on foot, hatched by
the Government and backed by venal
majority in the house of Assembly, to
pass bill authorizing the Executive to
repudiate its contracts with the land. own
ers, refusing to accept payments of arrears
and Selling upon and retaining perma.
ncntly the disputed lots. Two men in
the House opposed the measure. Their
names were Amos de Copos and Leonard
Mcclure. They knew that they had
nothing to hope from their compeers OIL
from the Government, and they prepared
themselves accordingly. The House ha(
made up its mind, with these two ex
ceptiops, to rush through this obnoxiou
bill on the day before the twelvemOntl
expired.
There was but one way 10 prevent this
and it was adopted resolutely. On tn,
house being opened, Mr.. Mcclure rose t.
his feet, the time being noon, and KEEP
the floor until s o'clock aext morning :
For sey.ntsen hours he continued TO speal
, while every effort was made BY the pur
chased majority to put him down and tir
I, him out. With merciless unanimit
they refused TO allow him to lean agains
the table, to put his foot upon chair 70
a moment, to relieve himself from the irk
someness of his position by resting hi
haud upon anything, or to speak. in shor
J. in any other than q rigidiy erect and III
supported attitude. During the Who'll
Il Of the time they relieved each other Z
IS intervalg, going out and procuring sue
II refreshments ss they needed, and alway
!, quorum in the hoEse When MoCluI
} sank exhausted into hig seat, as the ligl
, Of another morning was stealing into Il
/. windows Of the assembly house, De Com,
I. rose, and for the remaining seyen hou
!, of the twenty. four talked against tine.-
i. On rising, amid the groans and hiss
d Of ths disguised majority, be exclaimC
ID with more force than refinement, that
IN was useless for honorable members
d evince their malice in that manner, f
{. he had got up with the determination
: talk, if necessary, "uutil the angel O.
, briel sounded the last trump" His pol
d ers Of endurance were not quite so sever
n ly tested, but the end was achieved, at
!. when the clock struck twelve, the wol
81 and wearled champions Of honesty lookt
Il round with pardonable exultation upc
/. the blame faces Of bought and beat
IS assembly.