216

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

shall immediately summon as many persons, qualified

to act as jurors, as may be necessary with the jurors

in attendance to form a panel of twenty jurors, and

from them each party or his agent, or if either party

be not present in person or by agent, the Sheriff for

such party shall strike off four jurors, and the remain-

ing persons shall act as the jury for the inquest of

damages; and before the said jury shall proceed to

Administer

act the Sheriff shall administer to each of them an

oath

oath or affirmation, as the case may be, that he will

justly and impartially value the damages which the

owner or owners shall sustain by the condemnation

Leasehold

of said property required by the said County Com-
missioners; and in case said property shall be subject
to a lease, or an estate for life, the jury shall ascer-

tain and return in their inquisition the value of such

lease or estate for life, and also the value of the estate

in remainder or reversion ; the said jury shall sum-

mon such witness as either party may require, and

examine them on oath, in relation to the property to

be condemned, and shall reduce their testimony to

writing and return the same with the inquisition;

Return testi-

and as soon as the testimony is closed they shall as-

mony.

certain and determine the compensation which ought

to be made by the said County Commissioners to the

parties owning said property, according to their re-

spective interest in the property to be condemed;

and the said jury shall reduce their inquisition to

Reduce inquisi-
tion to writing.

writing, and shall sign and seal the same, and it shall

be returned by the Sheriff to the Circuit Court for

Frederick county, within twenty days after the find-

ing, and shall be filed by the Clerk of the Circuit

Court for Frederick county, in said court, and shall

be confirmed by the Court at its next session if no

sufficient cause to the contrary be shown, and when

confirmed shall be recorded by the said clerk, at the

Set aside

expense of the said county, but if set aside the court

may order another inquisition to be taken in the

manner above prescribed ; and every such inquisi-

tion shall describe the property taken, and the

bounds of the lands or lots condemned, and the

quantity or duration of the interest in the same, con-

demned for the use of said County Commissioners,

and such valuation when paid or tendered to the

owner of said property, his agent or attorney, shall

entitle the said County Commissioners to the estate