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.
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.