Section II provided that the liability of the owner in case of fire was entirely removed, a reaction to Forward v. Pittard, (1785) I T.R. 27, where a shipowner had been held liable for loss from an accidental fire.
Section II eliminated the owner's liability in case of fire, mirroring the ruling in Forward v. Pittard (1785) I T.R. 27, where a shipowner was held liable for fire-related damages.