Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-02-20
From the Missouri Republican
COL. BENTON AND GEN. HANS
SMITH.

Gen. Hans Smith in Jefferson City, during
the present session, such as were not
strictly of Legislative character. nor yeti
known to any out Of the city. We pro-
coed to the fulflmcnt of our promise,
At the commencement of the session of
the Legislature. Gen. Smith went on to |
Jefferson city, cnccintc with the confidence
Of being elected Spcakcr.-iIe knew th2
calibre, the weight Of metal, OF every mem
Der Of the party elect, and he knew his
own merits; he knew his own qualifica-
tions to be SO far superior TO the best of
his party beside himself. that Of his election
he had no doubt. Previous to commence
ment day, there was not enough members
present to go into caucus but on that day,
all the members of the House hal arrived
but about four, and the party force was
sufficiently full to go into caucus. Col.
! Benton was on the ground also. and is said
to have gone into caucus with them, and
to have exercised controlling influence,
as will hereafter be more particularly mcn-
! toned. The result was the nomination oil
Col. Price as speaker, and Mcssrs. Gilpin
and Watson as Secretaries Of the twoI
Houses.
For about three or four weeks after this.
Smith, in the main. was very punctual il
his attendance in the House, during which
he and Rodman appeared to vie with each
other for the rank and honor of party
leader. There was one brief exception To-
this observation within this time. On one
occasion he abscnted himself about .wo
days from the House, which at the time
was supposed to he occasioned by remorse.
for having said that the cause Of their late
party defeat throughout the Union, was
attributable 20 General Jackson's gross vio-
lGt;cn Of his own pledges, after having
previously said, more than once or twice,
that their defeat was oCcasioncd by the
prodigal diffusion Of British gold. of which
the plan was negotiated in London by
Daniel Webster, and carried out by British
capitalists, owners of American State
Stock.
But, as above mentioned, about three or
four weeks after the commencement Of the
session, he absontcd himself from the
House for about. or above, week: during
which time he paid frequent visits to the
, Wing rooms about BAsYE'S Hotel. when
he was in nowise squamish, in giving vent
in words to his feelings of dissatisfaction
with his party, and with Col. Benton. and
in disclosing certain party secrets-sccrcts.
however, some of which wcrc before Sis.
e pccted, but ali Of which were now officially
, announced.
We cannot pretend to state tie number
of such visits made by him TO Wing rooms
nor what he said az each particular visit
therefore, what we here state upon satiSiac
{ tory information, is without regard to the
5 order Of his visits On one occasion he /:
0 represented to have gone into q " hls
room. where some five or six Wings ;Iert
present He desired that the door m:gI'
f be shut as he had 4 communication to make
. to the Wings. and he believed he could
risk all present except one Gen. Tutt.) and
. Of his feelings he was not certain. In the
course of that visit he stated his intention
Of leaving the Democratic party; that Ben
d ton had proved himself undcseryinr of his
G support that he bad caused the party tI
sweryc from pure Democracy: and that he
intended to make his abandonment of Ii,
4 party the subject Of Il public speech in hi
i place in the House Of Representatives, II
which he would take a review Of his oUr
past political course, and that Of Col. Ben
ton, draw a contrast between them. an,
leave the public to Judge which Of the
And on that occasion he made at loas
" some, and On that and other occasions h,
II made all the following disclosures.
= l. That j. was at the interference aae
n dictaton Of Col. Benton that NIr. pric,
n was elected Speaker, in proicrcnce to him
). whose claims were superior, and who, hu
O for this p"agmatical Interference on tn
: part of Benton, would have been elected
It by whose interference also it was. tina
y Watson and Gipin had been elected clerk
t Of the two Houses, in preference to other
e having stronger claims, and who were 10
IF from st. Louis.
If ,. That Col. Benton wrote the oriaina
9 Of the identical resolutions presented b,
: Mr.. Price, in relation TO the IuTH s. CO
correspondence.
k 3. That Col Benton wrote the idonticG
- resolution afterwards offered By Mir. Pa
sons, for investigating the ST LIS In5ul
ance Companies; that he had enclosed it t
10 Relman, after he had left Jefferson City t
Il 90 on TO Washington, to be- handed to him
lie Smith, to present; that he, Smith, had iii
N his possession for days or weeks, and hando
~ il back to telman. or 10 soma one and ia
" first thing that he knew afterwards Of
! was, its presentation BIZ Mr.. Parsons.
i. That Col. Benton wrote die Curranc
a Bill. afterwards presented by Reamal.
h. 5. That Col. Benton wrut-. tha Northog
ID Boundary Bill, afterwards presented b
F." Mr.. Harvey of the Senate.
6. That 1t was IN obedience 70 inc i
% structions troE. Col. Benton that Rca'nc
lie introduces the Bill for changing the tin
70 nf ,tn rnaptinr Of ,i., : -,,r: .',tr-r, n,