The certificate of the head of any bureau or department of the general government is sufficient authentication of any paper or document appertaining to his office.
(Code 1852, §2294; Code 1867, §2694; Code 1876, §3046; Code 1886, §2787; Code 1896, §1818; Code 1907, §3985; Code 1923, §7683; Code 1940, T. 7, §396.)