ART. 28.] COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 183

53. If, upon petition in writing of any citizen or citizens of
any county, to the county commissioners, praying for a bridge
to be built or repaired, over any stream or place dividing two
adjoining counties, and the said county commissioners shall deem
the prayer in the petition reasonable, they shall by message in
writing, ask the concurrence of the county commissioners of the
adjoining county, and upon the concurrence of the last named
county commissioners, the county commissioners of each county
shall appoint three disinterested and discreet examiners, and each
shall notify the other of such appointment.

54. The said examiners shall, with all convenient dispatch,
meet and examine, and determine as to the expediency of build-
ing or repairing the bridge, the place where, the plan, material
and the relative portion of the cost, each of the adjoining coun-
ties should pay, and estimate the whole cost and report their
opinion and all other proceedings to their respective county com-
missioners.

55. If the said report be approved, and a bridge be reported
as proper and expedient to be built or repaired, the said several
county commissioners shall direct the examiners to advertise for
sealed proposals to build or repair such bridge as in their report
may be mentioned, stating the place, plan, material and work-
manship, with sufficient certainty for the purpose of obtaining
proper proposals for the same, and the time and place when such
proposals will be opened.

56. And at the time and place named in such notice, the ex-
aminers shall meet and open said proposals, and shall award the
work to the lowest bidder, all things being considered, who shall
thereupon enter into a contract with said examiners, and give
bond with security by them approved, in a penality double the
amount of the price of the work for the faithful performance of
said work.

57. The examiners, during the progress of the work and up
to its completion, shall at any time have full authority to ex-
amine and direct the same, and when completed, shall receive
the same and open it for public use, and notify the commis-
sioners of their respective counties thereof, and the said com-
missioners shall thereupon pay or levy for their respective pro-
portions of the cost of the said work according to the con-
tract.