agents of the United States cannot agree with such
owner as to the value of such lots or parcels of land,
or in case such owner shall be a minor, or non com-
pos mentis, or a femme covert, or non-resident of
Anne Arundel county, it shall and may be lawful
for any Justice of the Peace for Anne Arundel
county or Annapolis, upon application to him
made in the behalf of the United States, to issue

Sheriff re-
quired to sum-
mon Jury, &c.

his warrant directed to the sheriff of Anne Arun-
del county, authorizing and requiring him to sum-
mon twenty disinterested persons, not related to
or connected with any owner or owners of such
property and having the qualifications of jurors,
to meet at or near the property on a day to be ap-
pointed by the sheriff, after not less than ten or
more than twenty days notice to the owner or
owners, their guardians or committee, as the case
may be, and in case of the non-residence of the
owner or owners by like notice in some newspaper
published in the city of Annapolis, and if any of
the persons summoned shall not attend, the sheriff
shall immediately summon as many other jurors
as shall be necessary with those in attendance to
furnish a panel of twenty in attendance, and from
the panel each party may strike four, and if eight
be not struck, the sheriff may strike as many
with those struck by the parties as will make eight,
and the remaining twelve shall act as a jury of
inquest of damages, who, before they act as such,

Jury requir-
ed to take
oath.

shall severally take an oath or affirmation to be
administered by the sheriff, that he will honestly
and impartially value and assess the damages sus-
tained by said owner or owners by the use, occu-
pation, and condemnation of such property for the
extension of the said Academy grounds; the said

Inquisition to
be reduced to
writing, &c..

jury shall reduce their inquisition to writing and
sign and seal the same; and the sheriff shall make
return thereof with the warrant to the Clerk of
the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel county, to be
filed in his office, and it shall be confirmed by said
Court, at its next session if no sufficient cause be
shown to the contrary, and recorded; if the same
be set aside the said Court shall direct another
inquisition to be taken under the same warrant in
the manner prescribed by this Act, and the inqui-
sition shall describe the property by metes and
bounds, with the quantity or duration of interest