900

LAWS OF MARYLAND,

Summon jury.

thereupon issue his warrant, under his hand and
seal, to the Sheriff of the county, requiring him
to summon a jury of twenty of the inhabitants of
paid county, above the age of twenty-one years,
and qualified to act as jurors under the laws of
this State, not related to the parties, nor in any
wise interested, to meet on the lands, or near the
materials or other property wanted, on a day
named in said warrant, not less than ten nor more
than twenty days after issuing the same; and if
at said time and place any of the said jurors sum-
moned do not attend, the Sheriff shall immediately
summon as many persons similarly qualified, as
together with those in attendance, and from the
panel each party, his, her, it, or their agent or at-
torney; or if either party he not present in person
or hy agent, or heing present in person or agent,
refuse to strike, the Sheriff for him, her, it, or
them, may strike of four persons, and the remain-
ing twelve shall act as the jury of the inquest of
damages, and to each, before he acts as such juror,
the Sheriff shall administer an oath or affirmation
that he will justly and impartially value the
damages which the owner or owners will sustain

Jury shall re-
duce inquisi-
tion writing.

by the use and occupation of the property required
by the said Company; and the said jury shall re-
duce their inquisition to writing, and sign and
seal the same, and it shall then be returned by the
Sheriff to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for his
county, and be filed by said Clerk in his office, and
shall be confirmed by said Court at its next term
or session, if no sufficient cause to the contrary be
shown, and when confirmed, shall be recorded by
said Clerk at the expense of the Company; but if
the same be set aside, the said Court shall direct
another inquisition to be taken in the manner
above described, and in case the second or any
other inquisition which is confirmed by the Court,
shall not award to the land owner a larger amount
of damages than was awarded hy the first inqui-
sition, the Court may, in its discretion, order the
costs of the said second or other inquisition to be
paid by the owner or owners of said land or ma-
terials condemned; and the inquisition shall in
all cases describe the property taken, or the bounds
of the lands condemned, and the quality or dura-
tion of the interest in the same, valued for the