The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-09 00:00:00

Ignderaherilf at Maidstone to stay the execution two hours.
-14 the agency of the electric telegraph the communication was
received in Maidstone with the usual rapidity, and the exe-
cution was for a time stayed. It seems that the Uuder-Secre-
tareof State had been to conference with a gentleman who haainterested himself bathe ease, and a re-examination of the
evidence was humanely determined on ; pending the con-
sultation the Under•Semetary ordered the temporary re-
spite. Shortly after the transmission of the order deferring
the execution, a messenger from the Home-office conveyed
to the r +away the Secretary of State's order that the culprit
was to be at once executed. The telegraph clerk he;itatisd
in sending such a message, ea Me messemeir from':as Home-
office could net be certain that the niter for Hutchings's
execution was signed by the 11:ene-Secretary, although it
bore his name, arid "..Zottatref Mr. Macgregor, the chairman
of the 00111°*':, decided that it was not a sufficient authority
On such a momentous matter. It now became the duty of Mr.
James Walter, the chief superintendent of the South-
Reetern Railway, to see the Home Secretary on the subject
of the message, and accordingly Mr. Walter proceeded to
Downing-street, and stated to Sir Denis Le Merchant, the
under-secretary of state, that the railway company, in being
required to deal with such a matter as a man's execution,
must have the signature of the order affixed in the presence
of their responsible officer; that the second telegraphic
=steams was in fact a death warren', and that Mr. Walter
must have undoubted evidence of its correctness. The proper
signature was affixed is his presence, and the telegraph
then conveyed to the sad criminal the news that the suspen-
sion of the awful sentence was only temporary. Mean-
while, the greatest excitement prevailed amongst the
amembled multitude at Maidstone. Two o'clock passed,
and no order had come to hand. The culprit was in a com-
plete state of prostration, enduring the most intense anguish.
His gaze on the attendants showed that he surmised a
hope of his life being spared. He asked no questions, but
the striking of the hours of the prison clock after the hour
which he had been told ha would stiffer, evidently fastened a
hope. Three o'clock struck, and still no commu-
nication bad been received .its to his fate. In
about five minutes a hackney fly was seen driven to the
gates of the prison from the railway station. A cry was
raised, " A reprieve! a reprieve!" Judge, however, the
sensation produced in witnessing the culprit, within five
minutes afterwards, being almost carried up to the scaffold.
A thrill of horror ran through the crowd. Calcraft, the
executieeer, with some difficulty got the wretched roan to
stand while he adjusted the rope. The Hee. Mr. Winter,
the chaplain, and Mr. Bone, the governor, were by, hi. side,
and in answer to those gentlemen's remarks as to whether he
persisted in his previous declarations, he replied somewhat
firmly, "I am innocent, by God, I am innocent !" In a
few seconds the bolt was drawn, and after a few convulsive
struggles the unhappy creature bad ceased to exist. After
hanging the usual tame, one hour, the body was cut down
and buried within the walls of the prison.

HINCKFORD AGRICULTURAL AND CONSERVATIVE
Ctra.—The anniversary meeting of this society was held on
Tuesday last at Cutle Hedinghans. The ploughing opera-
tions were performed in fields on the farms of Mr. King and
Mr. Whitlock; and on this occasion the unprecedented
number of fifty ploughs started for the prizes, out of which
number six were held by youths under eightee: years of
age. A large number of persons assembled to witness the
ploughing, which was executed in a manner highly credit-
ablc, considering the hardness and dryness of the soil at the
present season. At three o'clock Sir Cl. 11. Smyth, the pre.
aident for the year, distributed the prizes from a waggon
drawn up in front of the Bell Inn, in the presence of a large
assemblage of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. The
dinner was served in the Bell Inn. Coven were laid for
upwards of a hundred, and the tables were completely filled
by one of the most numerous and influential companies that
ever rose mbled on any similar occasion. Sir Cr. 11.Smyth, Bart.,
M.P., presided. supported on the right and left by Sir J. T.
Tyrell, Bart., M.P., and Major Bensford, M.P. ; there were
alp present Ashunt Majendie, Esq.; Brise Ruggles Brise,
Esq. ; T. White, Esq.; &?;.. &e.

REPRESENTATION OF '''''"""' —Ora Wed-
needay night, the friends of the Hon. Frederick Villiers gni
George Meade Butt, Esq., Q.C., entertained them at a
public dinner. Mr. Villiers and Mr. Butt were defeated by
Mr. Christie and Col. Freestun at the late election by a very
small majority, and the interest of the contest has not yet
subsided, owing to the reiterated assertions of the conserva-
tive party that the result of a scrutiny before the House of
Commons mutt unseat the present members. At the dinner,
both Mr. Villiers and Mr. Butt stated plainly that they had
determined to petition. The Hon. F. C. Villiers said his '
friend and he had shown that the conservative party in
Weymouth was too strong, respectable, and influential, not
to make its voice heard in the councils of the state. He
begged to say that a petition would be presented, which
would and must lead to the result of ousting their present
members. Mr. Butt reiterated these sentiments. The
chairman of the day was Capt. Stevenson, R.N., who was
supported by a respectable party.