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State is accustomed to grant verification of the signatures of Governors attached to documents of importance on behalf of Her Majesty's subjects in the Colony and transmitted to England in legal, commercial, and other important cases.
Having a very long experience of Her Majesty's Colonial Service, cases are within my knowledge in which Governors have attested signatures for verification as provided in the Colonial Regulations, and I have no doubt that Lord Kimberley if applied to would not decline to grant you the authentication you ask to give.
It is obvious as I pointed out at the time that I could not accept the proposition you made of asking Sir John to certify his own signature, you at the Executive Offices much his senior in rank, were, under the circumstances, the proper person to apply to and I conceived it to be your duty to have granted my request.
I cannot accept your reminiscence of the circumstance referred to in the 2nd paragraph of your letter, it may assist your memory to recall that you remarked this was not the ordinary signature of Sir J. Pope Hennessy although...