582

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

Jurors do not

moned do not attend, the said sheriff shall imme-

attend

diately summon as many jurors as may be necessary

with the jurors in attendance to make up the num-

ber of twenty, and from them, each party or his

agent, or if either be not'present in person or by

agent, the sheriff for said party may strike four

jurors, and the remaining jurors shall act as the jury

of inquest of damages.

Administer

SEC. 7. And be it enacted, That the said sheriff

oath or affirma-
tion

shall, before the said jury shall proceed to act, admin-

ister to each of them an oath, that he will justly and

impartially value the damages which the owner will

sustain by the use or permanent occupation of the

land required by the United States.

SEC. 8. And be it enacted, That the jury shall sum-

mon such witnesses as the parties may require, and

Summon

examine them on oath in relation to the value of the

witnesses

property to be condemned; and they shall reduce

the testimony, if any be taken by them, to writing,

and after the testimony is closed, and without any

unnecessary delay, they shall ascertain and deter-

mine the compensation which ought to be made by

the United States to the party owning or being in-

terested in the land to be condemned.

Reduce to

SEC. 9. And be it enacted, That the jury shall reduce

writing.

their inquisition to writing, and shall sign and seal

the same, and it shall then be returned by the sheriff,

together with the testimony, if any taken, and

reduced to writing as aforesaid, to the Clerk of the

Circuit Court for the county wherein said land lies,

and shall be filed by said clerk in said court.

SEC. 10. And be it enacted, That the said inquisition

shall be confirmed by said court, if no sufficient

cause be shown by the fourth day of the term thereof,

beginning next after it is filed in said court; and

Confirmed

when continued, shall be recorded by said clerk at

the expense of the United States ; and the United

States shall also pay all the costs incident to said pe-

tition and inquisition in all cases.

SEC. 11. And be it enacted, That if the said inqui-

Set aside.

sition be set aside, the said court may direct another

inquisition in the manner hereinbefore prescribed.