982

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

laying out public drains, water courses or landings, shall be

determined or assessed by three disinterested persons, free-

holders and residents of Wicomico County, and above the age

of twenty-one years, who shall be appointed by the County

Commissioners aforesaid, and shall, within ten days after no-

tice of their appointment, take an oath before a justice of the

peace of Wicomico County that they will faithfully and fairly

and without partiality or prejudice value and assess the cost

Cost and dam

and damages to be suffered and incurred by any person in-

ages.

terested in the said property over, through and by which the

said road, drain, waterway or landing is to be opened, closed,

extended, widened, graded or improved ; and also to estimate

the benefits that may accrue therefrom to any such property

over, through and by which the said road, drain, waterway or

landing is to be opened, closed, extended, widened, graded or

improved or any property adjacent thereto, or any other prop-

erty injured or benefited by said road, drain, water course or

landing; they shall give at least fifteen days notice in one or

more newspapers published in Wicomico County of their pur-

pose to lay out, open, extend, close up. widen, straighten.

grade or improve the road, drain, waterway or landing as

directed to be laid out, opened, extended, closed up, widened,

straightened, graded or improved, and of the day, hour and

place of meeting for the said purpose ; and shall meet at the

time and place mentioned in the notice given by them and pro-

ceed to exercise the powers and perform the duty assigned to

and required of them, and to ascertain whether any and what

amount in value of the damages will be caused thereby for

which the owner or occupant of any rights or interest, claimed

in any ground or improvement ought to be compensated, over

and above the amount in value of benefits which will thereby

accrue to said owner or occupant thereof, and ascertain what

amount in value of benefits will thereby accrue to any lot or

parcel of ground by or through which the same may pass,

or improvements made, or any other property or to the owner

or occupant thereof, and which said lot or parcel of ground, or

the owner or occupant thereof ought to pay. They shall locate

To locate
boundaries.

boundaries and prepare an explanatory map giving description

of the road opened, closed, extended, widened, straightened,

or drain, water course or landing, with each separate lot or par-

cel of ground deemed to have sustained damage or received

benefit, and they shall, within twenty days, return to the County

Commissioners such maps, together with the amount of damage

awarded such owner or occupant and the amount of benefits

assessed to any lot or parcel of ground or the owner thereof,