Copies of all papers, books, or proceedings or parts thereof appertaining to transactions in their corporate capacity of any town or city incorporated under any general or special law of this state, certified to be true copies by the clerk or keeper of the same, under the seal of such town or city, or under the private seal of said clerk or keeper if there is no public seal, the clerk or keeper also certifying that he is entrusted with the safekeeping of the original, shall be received as prima facie evidence of the facts so certified in any court in this state.