Certificate

practice, is a writing made in any court, and properly authenticated, to give notice to another court of any thing done therein; or itis a writing by which an ofhcer or other person bears testimony thdta fact has or has not taken place. There are two kinds of certificates, those required by the law, and those which are merely voluntary: of the ‘first kind are certificates given to an insolvent of his discharge, and ‘those given to aliens that they have been naturalized. Voluntary certificates are those which are not required by law, but which are given of the mere motion of the party. The former are evidence of the facts therein mentioned, while the latter, which are not unfrequently extorted from weakness or ignorance, are not entitled to any credit, because the facts certified may be proved in the usual way under the solemnity of an oath or affirmation.

2 Com. Dig. 306; Ayl. Parerg. 157.