The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-12 00:00:00

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

An extraordinary instance of the application of the elec-
tric telegraph occurred on Thursday at the London-bridge
terminus of the South-Eastern Railway. Hutchings, the
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cution two hours. By the agency of the electric telegraph
the communication was received in Maidstone with the
usual rapidity, and the execution was for a time stayed.
It seems that the Under Secretary of State had been in
conference with a gentleman who had interested himself
in the case, and a re-examination of the evidence was
humanely determined on; pending the consultation the
Under Secretary ordered the temporary respite. Shortly
after the transmission of the order deferring the execution
for two hours, a messenger from the Home-office conveyed
to the railway the Secretary of State's order that the law
was to take its course, and that the culprit was to be at
once executed. As we have heard it stated, Mr. Mac-
gregor, chairman of the South-Eastern Railway, happened
to be at the terminus when this order arrived. The tele-
graph clerk hesitated in sending such a message without
instructions, and the propriety of transmitting it was ac-

cordingly submitted-to Mr. Macgregor. The messenger-
from the Home-office could not be certain that the order-
for Hutching's execution was signed by the Home Secre-
tary, although it bore his name, and accordingly Mr. Mac-
gregor, with great judgment and humanity, instant)* de-
cided that it was not a sufficient authority on such a mo-
mentous matter.

It now becaine the duty of Mr. James Walter, the chief
superintendent of the South-Eastern Railway, to see the
Home Secretary on the subject of the message, and ac-
cordingly Mr. Walter proceeded to Downing-street, and
stated to Sir Denis le Marchant, 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 re-
sponsible officer; that the second telegraphic message was
in fact a death warrant, and that Mr. Walter must have
undoubted evidence of its correctness. It is stated that on.
Mr. Walter drawing the attention of the Secretary of State
to the fact that the transmission was, in effect, to make
him the sheriff, the conduct of the railway company in re-
quiring unquestionable evidence and authority was warmly
approved. The proper signature was affixed in Mr. Wal-
ter's presence, and the telegraph then conveyed to the sad
criminal news that the suspension of the awful sentence
was only temporary. Hutchings was executed soon after
it reached Maidstone.

An extraordinary sensation was created in Maidstone;
it was generally believed that the man would not be
hanged. The Sheriff delayed the execution the full time
of two hours, and did not get the second mandate, ordering
the execution, until after the •expiration of the time. This
was in consequence of the wires being engaged in trans—
mitting a message from the Sheriff to the Home-office, so
that the Secretary of State's order could not pass through
until-the Sheriff's conversation had ended. We believe
this is the first instance of the employment of the electric
telegraph on such a service.

TOWN-HALL, LIVERPOOL,
28th September, 1847.
AT a MEETING of GEORGE HALL LAWRENCE,
Esquire, Mayor of Liverpool, J. BRAMLEY-MOORE,
Esquire, Chairman of the Dock Committee, and TRAFFORD
TRAFFORD, Esquire, Chairman of the Quarter Sessions for
the County of Chester, holden at Knutsford, held in the TOWN-
HALL, on TUESDAYkthe 28th September, 1847, for the purpose
of the triennial revision of the Schedule of Rates, upon Vessels
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-entering. the Port of Liverpool, and not *ng the Liverpool
Docks; in conformity with the provisio of the 106th Section
of the Dock Act of the 4th Victoria.

Resolved,
That the said Revisors havin ken the accounts required by
the said Act, for three yea , ending the 24th of June, 1847,
according to the classes o yacres performed by vessels as set
forth in the Schedule of e said Act ; and being of opinion that
the Tonnage Rates b e said Act imposed, are too much with
reference to the increase of the gross amount of tonnage on
vessels entering the said port, during the term aforesaid, as
compared with the three years preceding this revision; the
said revisers do hereby reduce the Tonnage Rates by the said
Act imposed, at and after the rate of Twenty per Cent., or one-
tfth, upon the amount of the Tonnage Rates specified in the
said schedule, according to the classes of voyages performed by
vessels as set forth in the same schedule; and do order and
direct that such reduction shall take place from and after the
First Day of October, 1847.
GEO. H. LAWRENCE, Mayor.
J. BRAMLEY-MOORE,
Chairman of the Dock Committee.
TRAFFORD TRAFFORD,
Chairman of Quarter Sessions, held at Knutsford.

NOTICE.
HITHERTO there has been no definite system
tiO,`• of LIGHTS for STEAMERS from the PORT
of LIVERPOOL; but the Admiralty having
lately given Notice that her Majesty's Steam-
vessels from Liverpool for the future are to carry the following:
namely,
MASTHEAD, -A CLEAR WHITE LIGHT,
STARBOARD Bow,—GREEN,
Po RT Bow,—RED,
WE HEREBY GIVE NOTICE
the Admiralty ; and hereaftei7
sailing from Liverpool,
Lights as the Admiralt-

ertke..---,, t we adapt the said Rule of
._.r e Steamers under our control,
exhibit the same description of
, eamers.
D. and C. MACIVER. •
For the Liverpoo , Halifax, and Belonging to the British
}
Boston Steam-ships, and North American
For the Liverpool and New York Royal Mail Steam-
- Steam-ships, packet Company.