In consequence of a Letter from a Mr. BENTON containing
erroneous statements having been read by Mr. SHERIDAN, M.P.
at a Public Meeting held last night in Dudley, I beg to send
a copy of the Letters I have this day addressed to those
gentlemen on the subject.
I remain, dear Sir, yours faithfully,
RICHARD SMITH.
_The Priory, April 9th, 1859._
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Copy of a Letter addressed by RICHARD SMITH, Esq., to H. B.
SHERIDAN Esq., M.P.:--
The Priory, Dudley, April 9th, 1859.
SIR,--I have seen a copy of the letter addressed to you by Mr.
Benton, which you read at a meeting of the Electors of Dudley,
held last night at the Lancasterian School-room, and cannot
but regret you should have allowed yourself to give such a
letter to the world, with your comments thereon, without first
ascertaining, by communication with me, whether the statements
made therein upon hearsay were true.
The statements which Mr. Benton has made are entirely without
foundation, and I unhesitatingly give them an unqualified
denial.
I send you a copy of a letter I have written to that gentleman,
and I rely on your giving it an equal degree of publicity with
Mr. Benton's communication. Whatever differences of opinion
may exist between us politically, I confidently appeal to your
sense of what is due from one gentleman to another to comply
with this request without delay.
I remain, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
RICHARD SMITH.
H. B. Sheridan, Esq., M.P.
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Copy of a letter addressed by RICHARD SMITH, Esq., to Mr.
BENTON, referred to in the letter to Mr. SHERIDAN, M.P.:--
The Priory, Dudley, April 9th, 1859.
SIR,--I have learnt with surprise that a letter addressed by
you to Mr. Sheridan, having reference to certain statements
said to have been made by me to Mr. Locock, was read and
commented on by Mr. Sheridan, at a meeting of the Electors of
Dudley, held at the Lancasterian Schoolrooms last night. I beg
most emphatically to deny that I ever used to Mr. Locock (or
any other person) the words, or any such words, you have been
pleased to put forth.
I never said to that gentleman, "that Lord Ward paid five
thousand pounds away in Dudley and its neighbourhood per
week, and that unless the Electors of Dudley voted which way
he pleased that he would shut up his pits for two years, and
therefore stop those wages;" "or that many of the tradespeople
were under obligations to the Bank, and their circumstances
should be exposed, and that they should have no further
accommodation;" or any words to that effect.
I cannot but regret you should have permitted yourself to
make such unfounded statements which are not only unjust and
injurious to me, but are a libel on the Tradesmen and Bankers
of the town.
I add for your information that I am in no way connected with
either of the Banks here, that I have no knowledge whatever, or
the means of acquiring knowledge, as to the obligations of the
Tradesmen of Dudley to their Bankers, nor any power to regulate
or affect the amount of accommodation that their Bankers may
afford them.
As your letter has been read at a meeting, I think it right to
publish this also.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
RICHARD SMITH.
John Benton, Esq., London.
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