In answer to that unwearied and interminable interrogator Sir G.
Jenkinson, Mr. Bruce has explained that his reason for commuting the sentence of Jacob Spinasa was the production of very important new evidence from a Swiss surgeon, showing him to have been subject to fits of hallucination, during which he was very dangerous, whileserving ma Swiss militia regiment; and confirmatory evidence to thesame effect was received from persons in a German hospital • in London in which Splines had been resident. This evidence had been submitted by Mr. Bruce both to the Judge who had tried the oaseand to the Lord Chancellor, who had both advised him that had this evidence been produced to the jury, the verdict would have been in all probability very different. 'It is clear that Mr. Bruce acted-rightly, but it is also clear that these are precisely the kind of circumstances under which there ought to be a new trial, and not a mere exercise of the prerogative of mercy. It is impossible for any Home Secretary to sift new evidence as it would be sifted in a Court of Justice, and should be sifted, before a right verdict can be given or a wrong verdict reversed.
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