Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it may and shall be lawful for the keepers or persons having the custody of laws, judgments, orders, decrees, journals, correspondence, or other public documents, of any foreign government or its agents, relating to the title to lands claimed by or under the United States, on the application of the head of any one of the departments, the Solicitor of the Treasury, or the Commissioner of the General Land Office, to authenticate the same under his hand and seal, and certify the same to be correct and true copies of such laws, judgments, orders, decrees, journals, correspondence, or other public documents; and when the same shall be certified by such minister, consul, or judge, mentioned in the first

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section of this act, under his hand and seal of office, to be true copies of the originals, the same shall be sealed up by him and returned to the Solicitor of the Treasury, who shall file the same in his office, and cause it to be recorded in a book to be kept for that purpose. A copy of said laws, judgments, orders, decrees, journals, correspondence, or other public documents, so filed, or of the same so recorded in said book, may be read in evidence in all courts where the title to land claimed by or under the United States may come into question, equally with the originals thereof.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Solicitor of the Treasury shall cause a seal to be made and provided for his office, with such device as the President of the United States shall approve, and copies of any public documents, records, books, or papers, belonging to or on the files of the said office, under the signature of the said Solicitor, or, when the office shall be vacant, under the signature of such officer as may be officiating for the time being, accompanied by an impress of the said seal, shall be competent evidence in all cases equally with the original records, documents, books, or papers.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all books, papers, documents, and records in the War, Navy, Treasury, and Post-Office Departments, and the Attorney-General's office, may be copied and certified under seal in the same manner as those in the State Department may now by law be, and with the same force and effect, and the said Attorney-General shall cause a seal to be made and provided for his office, with such device as the President of the United States shall approve.

Approved, February 22, 1849.