Hutchison's mayoralty occurred during an economic recession and his term was characterized by withdrawing funding from railway projects.

The recession caused his business to become bankrupt and he did not run for a council seat upon the end of his mayoral term.

During this term, he criticised the mayor, John George Bowes, for the latter's involvement in a scandal called the Ten Thousand Pound Job.

Hutchison's mayoralty was dominated by managing many public work projects that began in the early 1850s and an economic depression that affected the Province of Canada.

John Ross Robertson stated in 1914 that Hutchison died in Toronto two or three years after his mayoralty ended.

[2] Victor Russell stated in 1982 that upon leaving the council, Hutchison closed his Toronto business and moved back to Montreal, retired to Metis, Quebec due to declining health, and died there in 1863.