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8. For the purpose of securing the attendance of an efficient body of men whenever a fire may take place there shall be embodied a "City Fire Brigade."

9. Such Fire Brigade shall be formed from such able bodied men who shall enrol themselves as volunteers by causing their names to be entered in a book to be kept for that purpose by the Clerk of the City Council, and such Brigade shall be properly and efficiently equipped at the expense of the funds to be collected and received by virtue of this Bye Law.

10. The persons whose names shall be so enrolled shall from time to time as they shall think fit make rules and regulations for the command, training, exercise, discipline and service of such Fire Brigade.

11. Every occupier of any house, shop, store, or other place of business situate in Princes-street, Fort-street, Shortland-street, Chancery-street, High-street, O’Connell-street, Queen-street, Wyndham-street, and Albert-street, shall keep in some convenient place, easily accessible in the event of a fire taking place, not less than two serviceable water buckets capable of containing not less than two gallons each.

12. Every person who shall, without one month after this Bye Law shall come into operation neglect or refuse to comply in every particular with the regulations contained in clause No. 11, shall forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding twenty shillings—for every day’s neglect or refusal, and it shall be lawful for the Inspector of Nuisances at any reasonable time, not oftener than once in every month to inspect the said buckets, and the occupier of any such premises as aforesaid, refusing or neglecting to show the Inspector of Nuisances, on his demand, such buckets so required to be kept by him as aforesaid, shall forfeit and pay for every such offence, any sum not exceeding £5.

13. In the event of a fire taking place, it shall be lawful with a view to prevent the same from spreading for the Commissioner or Inspector of Police, or, in the absence of both of the aforesaid officers, for the Chairman of the City Council, or in the absence of all the aforesaid persons for the Captain of the “City Fire Brigade” and if none of the aforesaid officers be present then for a member of the City Council to authorize or direct any house, or building, or other property to be pulled down or removed, and the owner of any such house, or building, or other property which shall be pulled down or removed in pursuance of any such authority or direction, shall respectively be entitled to be indemnified by the Council and Burgesses of the City of Auckland, from any damages, costs, and expenses to be paid or sustained in consequence thereof.

14. The amount of any compensation to be given as aforesaid, shall be fixed by two arbitrators; and an umpire to be appointed in the usual way, and in the event of any person refusing or neglecting to concur in any such arbitration, or to appoint an arbitrator the amount of compensation shall be fixed by a single arbitrator to be appointed by the City Council.

15. The Commissioner or Inspector of Police, or the chairman of the City Council, or any member thereof giving any such authority or direction as aforesaid, and any person who shall pull down, or remove, or assist in pulling down or removing any house, or building, or other property in pursuance of any such authority or direction, shall respectively be entitled to be indemnified by the Council and Burgesses of the City of Auckland, from any damages, costs, and expenses to be paid or sustained in consequence thereof.

16. All sums of money to be paid by way of compensation or indemnity, in pursuance of the foregoing regulations, shall be paid out of moneys to be raised by rate—to be levied under this Bye Law: and it shall be lawful for the City Council at any time, to levy any one or more special rate or rates in addition to such annual rate as aforesaid, in order to pay the whole, or part of any amount payable in respect of any such compensation or indemnity as aforesaid.

17. For the government of persons present at fires, (not being members of the “Fire Brigade”) and with a view to render their services efficient, it shall be lawful for the Commissioner or Inspector of Police, or in their absence for the chairman of the City Council and if neither such Commissioner, nor Inspector, nor Chairman be present, for one of the members of the said Council, who shall be appointed by the said Council in that behalf, and whose appointment shall have been notified by advertisement in all the newspapers published in Auckland, to issue orders and directions to all persons present at any fire (except such as may be acting under military command), having for their object the preservation of order or the arresting or extinguishing of the flames, and every person who shall wilfully act contrary to any such order or direction shall forfeit and pay for every such offence, any sum not exceeding £5.

SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO.

Every house or building covering an area of less than 400 square feet, 2s. 6d.

Every house or building covering an area of 400 to 600 square feet, 5s.

Every house or building covering an area of 600 to 800 square feet, 10s.

Every house or building covering an area of 800 square feet, and upwards, 20s.

Passed by the Auckland City Council this twenty first day of August, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-four.

WALTER LEE,
Chairman City Council.

J. MITCHELL,
Clerk City Council.

I hereby signify my assent to the Bye-Law.

R. H. WYNYARD,
Secretary.