148

LAWS' OF MARYLAND.

after, as may be necessary to exercise the powers and per-

form the duties required of it under the provisions of this Act,

and shall ascertain whether any and what amount in value

of damage will thereby be caused to the owner of any right

or interest in any ground or improvement within said burnt

district, for which, taking into consideration all advantages

Awarding

compensation

and disadvantages, such owner ought to be compensated, and

to owners of

the said Commission, having ascertained the whole amount

land in burnt
district.

of damages, for which compensation ought to be awarded, as

aforesaid" upon any and each of the streets, lanes, alleys,

squares or market spaces in said burnt district, so. as afore-

said, to be laid out, opened, extended, widened or straight-

ened in the said burnt district, and so, as aforesaid, to be

made : and having added thereto the amount or amounts which

it has paid, or agreed to pay, for any land or property pur-

chased by it for the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore

upon the street, lane, alley, square or market space on which

it has estimated, as aforesaid, the whole amount of damages,

for which compensation ought to be awarded, and having also

added thereto an estimate of the probable amount of the pro-

portion of expenses which will be incurred by them in the

performance of the duties required of them as aforesaid, in-

cluding a ratable proportion of the expenses of said Commis-

sion ; and also of the expenses incurred by the City Register

by reason of said proceedings in respect of the said streets,

lanes, alleys, squares or market spaces, respectively, shall pro-

ceed to assess one-third of the said total amount upon all the

ground and improvements, if any, within or outside of the

said burnt district, the owners of which, as such, the said Com-

mission shall decide and deem, to be directly benefitted by

accomplishing the object; provided, the amount of said bene-

fits shall be equal to one-third of the said total amount here-

inbefore mentioned, and if not, then to the amount of such

benefits and all the remainder of the said total amount shall

be assessed upon and paid by the Mayor and City Council of

Baltimore. But the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore,

acting through said Commission, may pay or tender the entire

Damages, pur-

amount of said damages, purchase prices and expenses, to

chase prices
and expenses

whom the same may be payable, and the persons or property

against whom or which such proportions of said benefits are

assessed, shall not by such payment or tender be released from

paying such proportion of benefits as may be assessed against

them or it respectively, but shall be liable to pay the same on

the terms hereinafter provided. The above apportionment of

benefits between the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and