THE METHOD PROPOSED BY Alexander Cutting FOR Preventing the Increase of FIRES, The Burning and Stealing of Goods, paying the Losses and Damages by Fire to Houses, Repairing and New Building public Buildings, and recompensing the present Insurers of Houses from Fire; all which is Humbly Conceived may be performed for a Tenth Part of the Charge that is now paid for Insuring.  
THAT there may be Trustees and Managers appointed for the purposes aforesaid, with their clerks, Surveyors, Servants, &c.  
That all the Houses within the Bills of Mortality, which pay to Church and Poor, may be Registered in their Books, not exceeding two Thirds of the true Value of each House, to be Surveyed by Surveyors upon Oath.  
That there may be about Three Hundred honest Men to be Disposed of, as the Trustees and Managers shall think most proper for the Service; That they shall give Security and take an Oath of Fidelity.  
That each of these Men shall have a Coat and Cap to distinguish them, and every One of them two Buckets at their Houses, which they shall be Obliged to bring with them at the time of any Fire, and amongst them a sufficient Number of Hooks, Axes, and Saws.  
That the Managers to Govern them have Power at the time of any Fire, to require the Constables of 〈…〉 Parishes next adjoining, to prevent the Multitude coming to Fires, that the Men may the better perform their Duty by Extinguishing the Fire, and preventing the Goods from being Burnt or stolen.  
That if any Person or Persons, shall presume to come within the Distance of 〈…〉 of any Fire without leave first had, either from the Managers or Constables, such Person or Perons, shall for every such Offence, forfeit and pay the Sum of 〈…〉  
That the Church-wardens of each Parish, when any Fire shall happen, to be Obliged( upon Notice given) to cause some of the Bells to Ring backward, which shall be the Notice to bring the Fire-men Together.  
This Method is humbly conceived by the Conduct of the Managers, the use of engines, Buckets, &c. together with the Skill of the Fire-men, Twenty of which by Experience do more Service( and may in all probability soon Extinguish Fires) and are of more Use then Five Hundred of the common pretended Assistants, which stop the Way, and by their Unskilfulness, often increase Fires, and occasion ill Persons to steal Goods.  
That it will be of very Great Benefit to all Owners of Houses, both by raising the Value of their Estates, and saving many of them from Ruin: And also to the Tenant, by preventing that Common Notorious practise of Stealing their Goods, which sometimes proves almost the Ruin of many of them.  
That this may be performed at the Charge following, viz. All-houses valued at 50 l. or under, to pay 1 s. Yearly, and all Houses valued at above 50 l. and under 500 l. to pay 1 s. for the first 50 l. and after the Rate of 9 d. per Cent. per Ann. for the Remainder. All Houses valued at above 500 l. and under 2000 l. to pay. the Rates aforesaid for the first 500 l. and after the Rate of 6 d. per Cent. per Ann. for the Remainder. And all Houses valued at above 2000 l. to pay as aforesaid for the first 2000 l. and after the Rate of 3 d. per Cent. per Ann. for all sums exceeding; so that what all small Houses pay is inconsiderable, and the Charge of the great Houses is made Easy.  
That two Thirds of the said Charge be paid by the Landlord, and one Third by the Tenant, to be gathered by the Overseers of the Poor of each Parish half Yearly, and by them paid to the Trustees and Managers.  
That by the Rates aforesaid it appears, That a House valued at 2000 l. is to pay but 11 s. and 10 d. ½ a Year; that is, 8 s. and 2 d. ½ by the Landlord, and 3 s and 8 d. by the Tenant: Whereas the Charge of Insuring 2000 l. for one Year by the present Insurers, would come to Six Pounds, which is above fourteen times as much.  
That 〈…〉 shall be a Stock to pay all Losses and Damages by Fire to the Houses.  
That 〈…〉 for Maintaining the Office, clerks, Surveyors, Servants and Fire-men, and for paying for Books, Clothes, Materials to Extinguish Fires, and recompensing the Trustees and Managers.  
The other 〈…〉 to be Disposed of towards the Discharging the Contracts of the present Insurers, as the Trustees and Managers shall think fit, and afterwards to go to the Stock aforesaid.  
And at any time when the Stock shall amount to above 〈…〉 Pounds, the Overplus to go towards the Rebuilding of White-Hall, or Building of Greenwich Hospital, or any other public Business as this Honourable House shall think fit.  
All which is Humbly Submitted to this Honourable House.