ART. 4.] CITY OF BALTIMORE. 326

STREETS.

837. The mayor and city council of Baltimore shall have full
power to provide for laying out, opening, extending, widening,
straightening or closing up in whole or in part, any street,
square, lane or alley, within the bounds of said city, which in
their opinion the public welfare or convenience may require; to
provide for ascertaining whether any, and what amount in value,
of damage will be caused thereby, and what amount of benefit
will thereby accrue to the owner or possessor of any ground or
improvements within or adjacent to said city for which such
owner or possessor ought to be compensated, or ought to pay a
compensation, and to provide for assessing and levying, either
generally on the whole assessable property of said city, or
specially on the property of persons benefited, the whole or any
part of the amount of damages and expenses which they shall
ascertain will be incurred in locating, opening, extending, widen-
ing, straightening or closing up the whole or any part of any
street, square, lane or alley, in said city; to provide for granting
appeals to the Criminal Court of Baltimore or the Superior
Court of Baltimore city from the decisions of any commissioners,
or other persons appointed in virtue of any ordinance, to ascer-
tain the damage which will be caused or the benefit which will
accrue to the owners or possessors of ground or improvements
by locating, opening, extending, widening, straightening or
closing up, in whole or in part, any street, square, lane, or alley
within said city, and fbr securing to every such owner and
possessor the right, on application within a reasonable time, to
have decided by a jury trial whether any damage has been
caused, or any benefit has accrued to them, and to what amount;

to provide for collecting and paying over the amount of compen-
sation adjudged to each person entitled, or investing it in stock
of the said corporation, bearing an interest of five per centum
per annum, for the use of any such persons who, because of
their infancy, absence from the city, or any other cause, may be
prevented from receiving it, before any street, square, lane or
alley, in whole or in part, shall be so opened, extended, widened,
straightened or closed up, and to enact and pass all ordinances
from time to time which shall be deemed necessary and proper
to exercise the powers and effect the objects above specified.

838. Before the mayor and city council shall pass any ordi-
nance under the preceding section, at least sixty days' notice