The Portland Gazette

MR. HOLMES' SPEECH.

The speech of this gentleman in favor of the admission of Missouri with her present constitution, without regard to the modification afterwards proposed by Mr. Eaton, is omitted in the regular report of the debate by the Editors of the Intelligencer. The speeches before this inclusively to Mr. Smith's of S. C. after whom Mr. Holmes spoke upon the same side, were given at much length in that paper some time since; and after a considerable interval, they have published the speech of Mr. Otis, who followed Mr. Holmes. As the votes of the members of Congress are published on all important occasions for the information of their constituents, and as it is gratifying to them generally to be made acquainted with the reasons of those votes, as the public at large cannot have access to the galleries, the editors of that paper have kindly undertaken to report the debates on all such questions in regular order. Why the present speech is omitted is not mentioned; though it sometimes happens, that the reporter is absent from the hall, which is commonly stated as the apology for any particular omission. In these cases, however, as well as in others, it is understood that the members frequently furnish their own speeches. To whatever circumstance the present hiatus may be owing, it is the more to be regretted as the vote given by this gentleman on the late occasion being in direct variance with the universal sentiments of his constituents, it was the more desirable that they should be properly made acquainted with the true grounds of it, both for their own satisfaction and his justification. The only account of this speech, which the public has yet seen, was in the form of a letter published at Richmond, and they have patiently waited to see the proof of its spuriousness as well as its gratitude. Without any allusion to the election about to be made to fill the approaching vacancy in the Senate for his state, which it is not probable will be affected by it, it is still hoped, it may be done—to the mean time we can only furnish a short abstract of the argument employed by him on this occasion, as gathered from the speech which succeeded it.

"The honorable gentleman from Maine" said Mr. Otis, "had favored the Senate with an exposition of his ideas of the term 'citizen,' as found in the constitution, which he (Mr. O.) was unable to comprehend; but which, if he did understand it, would enable a State to disfranchise all her citizens of all colors and complexions." He also contended "that our opposition to the power of the States to exclude persons of color from settlement in their jurisdiction, would operate in favor of the slave holding states sending away their freed blacks into other states, and that the northern states would be thus overrun with their swarms." In conclusion he enlarged upon the consequences to be apprehended from the rejection of Missouri under her present constitution, in terms adapted to excite alarm.

CAETERA DESUNT.