Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-07

One Of the most remarkable ioots q eudu.
rance in speaker which Ne ever semembes
to have heard Of, comes to 10 from victoria,
vAnsouser's Island. Gays The Ersminer. -
In the !, gisiative assembly Of that Mace, ws
are told that Mr.. Leonard Mcclure spoke
for seventeen h0ur without psusing NJ I'll.
ting down. To these Who are uuaeQuainted
eth the Circumstance, this feat n,ght not
appear proper 70 be placed IN the same cat
seory With the exeftions oe those smbitious
pedestrians who. for wsgess. walked thous
and miles in thousand hours. II may eos
lily be supposed that Nj. NcClIrs's speech
could not have bssn . msster-piecs Of ora
tory. nor 10 Il likely that his Endorsement ~:
greater than that which moved Edmund
Burke vhsa. q The trial Of Warren Hast
inss. sftcs pouring out for fourteen hours a
torrent Of impassioned eloquence, the mejes-
tic mind collapsed under the force Of physi-
cal fatigue, and he fell fainting in tho arms
OF sheridan. But We know Of no instance
Of stubborn tenaclty equal to this Of NJ. Nc
Clure, sud the cause Vas one which should
make him famous in the annals Of the Brit
ish colonies.
A year ago large quantity Of land in and
about Victoria vas seixed BY the 0ovesn>
ment Sor arrears Of taxes, and was By il held
on the understanding, expressed AID pub
liahed, that the ewners could have end rev
possess their lots by paying the taxes due
within . twe'vemonth after their s4ixusc.- -
But il became kn0wn few days before the
expiration Of the allotted term, that plot
Vas on foot, hatchsd ~ the general Gov
eminent and hacked BY venal majority in
the house OF assembly. to pass bill author
ising the executive 70 epudiate il contracts
with the landowners, refusing 70 accept
payment Of arrears, and ecising upon and
retaining permanently the disputed lots
Two men in the house opposed the measure.
Their names we're Amos de Comos and
Leonard Mcclure. They know that they
had nsthing to hope from their compeers o.
from the government, and they prepared
thea selves accordingly. The house had
made up its mind. with these two exceptions
to rush through this obnoxious bill on thu
day before the .wslvemonth expired.
There was but one ray to prevent this
and it vas adopted resolutcly. On the hous,
being opened, Nj. Mcclure rose to his feet
the time being noon. and kept the door unit
five o'clock next morning. For seventeen
hours he continued TO speak, while ever
effort Was made by the purchased majority
70 put him down and tire him out With
merc,l, IS unsnimisy they refused to allov
him 10 lean against the table. 70 put his foo
upon chair TOR . moment, TO relieve him
scif from the irksomeness of his position b,
resting his hand upon anything, OF to spcsl
in short, in any other than rig,dly crec
and unsupported attitude. During III
whole Of the time they relieved each othe
At intervals, SO ny out and procuring sucl
Refreshments - they needed, and alway
leaving quorum in the house. When Nc
Clurs sank ~ austs into HE seat, a. tn
light OF another morning was stealing int
} tho windows Of the assembly house. ID
Comas rose, and for the remaining seve
hours Of the twenty -four talked against tim,
On rising, amid the groans and hisses Of tn
disguised and infuristed majority, he 81
claimed With more forcs than rsBnemen
that i. VAS useless for honorable mcmbsr
to eyince their malice in that manner, for b
had got up with the determination to tall
If necessary, ''uatil the angel Gabriel SCUM,
ID the last trump" His powers Of end,
! rance were not quite SO severely tested, b,
the end was achieved, and when the clos
struck twelve, the worn and weesied ehAn
pions oi honesty looked round with pardoi
able exultation upon the blank faces Of
bought and beaten assembly.