cHAP. 1v] THE PREROGATIVE OF MERCY 1419 
be tried within the Union, to grant a pardon to any accom- 
plice in such crime or offence who shall give such information 
as shall lead to the conviction of the principal offender, or of 
any one of such offenders if more than one; and further, 
to grant to any offender convicted of any such crime or 
offence in any Court, or before any judge, justice, or magis- 
trate, within the Union, a pardon, either free or subject to 
lawful conditions, or any remission of the sentence passed 
on such offender, or any respite of the execution of such 
sentence, for such period as to the Governor-General may 
seem fit, and to remit any fines, penalties, or forfeitures which 
may become due and payable to Us. Provided always, that 
if the offender be a natural-born British subject or a British 
subject by naturalization in any: part of our Dominions, 
the Governor-General shall in no case, except where the 
offence has been of a political nature, make it a condition 
of any pardon or remission of sentence that the offender 
shall be banished from or shall absent himself from the 
Union. 
And we do hereby direct and enjoin that the Governor- 
General shall not pardon, grant remission to, or reprieve 
any such offender without first receiving in cases other 
than capital cases the advice of one, at least, of his 
ministers. 
Whenever any offender shall have been condemned to 
suffer death by the sentence of any Court, the Governor- 
General shall consult the Executive Council upon the case of 
such offender, submitting to the Council any report that 
may have been made by the judge who tried the case, and, 
whenever it appears advisable to do so, taking measures 
to invite the attendance of such judge at the Council. 
The Governor-General shall not pardon or reprieve any 
such offender unless it shall appear to him expedient 
so to do, upon receiving the advice of the Executive 
Council thereon; but in all such cases he is to decide 
either to extend or to withhold a pardon or reprieve, 
according to his own deliberate judgement, whether the 
members of the Executive Council concur therein or other- 
wise ; entering nevertheless, on the Minutes of the Executive 
Council, a minute of his reasons at length in case he should 
decide any such question in opposition to the judgement of 
the majority of the members thereof. 
The omission of any reference to Imperial interests in the 
exercise of the prerogative in ordinary cases is a somewhat