Office of the Historian

Mr. Blaine to Mr. Lincoln.

Department of State,
Washington, June 25, 1889.
No. 25.]

Sir: The attention of the Department has recently been called by Sir Julian Pauncefote to the late extradition case of Thomas Barton, who was examined in Philadelphia before a United States commissioner on a charge of forgery alleged to have been committed in England. The prisoner, after much delay, was committed to await the action of the Executive, and was finally surrendered, but only upon the strength of oral proof of the admissibility of some of the documents presented to the commissioner. All papers depending for their admissibility upon the authentication of the legation at London were rejected, owing to the defective form of the legation’s certificate.

In order that a similar difficulty may be avoided in the future, I inclose herewith a blank form of a certificate, which is to be used by the legation hereafter in authenticating papers for use in extradition cases in this country.

I am, etc.,

James G. Blaine.
[Inclosure in No. 25.]

Form of certificate.

I, —— ——, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States in London, hereby certify that the annexed papers, being —— (here state what papers are) —— proposed to be used upon an application for the extradition from the United States of ——, charged with the crime of ——, alleged to have been committed in ——, are properly and legally authenticated, so as to entitle them to be received in evidence for similar purposes by the tribunals of ——, as required by the act of Congress of August 3, 1882.