l companies in respect of property in the metropolis
in the year ending the twenty-fourth of December one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four: provided that any
insurance company which at the time of the passing of this
Act contributes to the expenses of the said fire engine
establishment may, in respect of all payments to be made by
it in the years one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six and
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, but not
afterwards, contribute after the yearly rate of thirty-five
pounds in one million pounds of the business in respect of
which it contributes to the said fire engine establishment
for the present year, according to a return which has been
furnished to the chairman of the said Metropolitan Board,
instead of in the manner in this Act provided.

14. All contributions due from an insurance company to the
Board in pursuance of this Act shall be deemed to be
specialty debts due from the company to the Board, and be
recovered accordingly.

15. For the purpose of ascertaining the amount to be
contributed by every such insurance company as aforesaid,
every insurance company insuring property from fire in the
metropolis shall, on the thirtieth day of December one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, with respect to the
amounts insured in the year one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four, and on the 1st of June one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six, and on every succeeding 1st of June,
or on such other days as the Metropolitan Board of Works may
appoint, make a return to the said Board, in such form as
they may require, of the gross amount insured by it in
respect of property in the metropolis.

There shall be annexed to the return so made a declaration
made by the secretary or other officer performing the duties
of secretary of the company by whom it is made, stating that
he has examined the return with the books of the company,
and that to the best of his knowledge, information, and
belief, it contains a true and faithful account of the gross
amount of the sums insured by the company to which he
belongs in respect of property in the metropolis.

The return made in the June of one year shall not come into
effect till the 1st of January of the succeeding year, and
shall be the basi