A PATRIOTIC SPEECH, INDEED.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3330, 4 December 1883, Page 3

A PATRIOTIC SPEECH, INDEED.

The longest speech on record is believed to have been made by Dr De Cosmos, in the legislature of British Columbia, when a measure was pending Jjvhose passage would take from a good many settlers their lands. Do Cosmos was in a hopeless minority. The job had been held back till the eve of the close of the session ; unless legislation was taken before noon of a given day, the act of confiscation would fail. The day before the expiration of the limitaion De Cosmos got on the floor about 10 a.m., and began a speech against the Bill. Its friends cared little, for they supposed that, by one or two o’clock he would be through, and the Bill could be put on its passage. One o’clock came, and De Cosmos was speaking still—had not more than entered upon his subject. Two o’clock —he was saying “ in the second place.” Three o’clock—he produoed a fearful bundle of evidence, and insisted on reading it. The majority began to have a suspicion of the truth—he was going to speak till next noon, and kill the Bill. For awhile they made merry over it, but as it came on to dusk they began to get alarmed. They tried interruptions, but soon abandoned them, because each one afforded him a chance to digress and gain time. They tried to about him down, but that gave him a breathing space, and finally they settled down to watch the combat between strength of will and weakness of body. They gave him no mercy. No adjournment for dinner ; no chance to do more than wet his lips with water ; no wandering from his subject ; no sitting down. Twilight darkened ; the gas was lit; members slipped out to dinner in relays, and returned to sleep in squads, but De Cosmos went on. The Speaker to whom he was addressing himself was alternately dozing, snoring, and trying to look wide awake. Day dawned, and the

majority slipped out in squads to wash and breakfast, and the speaker still held on. It cant bo’t be said it was a very logical, eloquent, or sustained speech. There were digressions in it, repetitions also. But still the speaker kept on ; at last noon came to a baffled majority, livid with rage and impotence, and to a single man, who was triumphant, though his voice had sunk to a husky whisper, his eyes were almost shut, and were bleared and bloodshot, his legs tottered under him, and his baked lips were cracked and smeared with blood. De Cosmos had spoken twentysix hours, and saved the settlers their lands!