724 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 514]

said estimate; and all of said money shall be expended under
the direction of the County Road Engineer.

SEC. 278. It shall not be lawful for the County Commis-
sioners of Dorchester county to open any new road in said
county until they shall have had such proposed roads surveyed
and platted by the county road engineer, and an estimate in
writing made by him of the cost of building such proposed new
road, including necessary bridges in the same, and any such
new public roads which the County Commissioners may here-
after decide to open shall be built under the control and direc-
tion of the county road engineer, and shall not be accepted or
paid for by the County Commissioners until the said county
road engineer has certified to said commissioners that the said
road has been built according to contract and specifications,
signed by the contractors, if such road is built by contract.

SEC. 279. Whenever the county road engineer shall find it
necessary to open an outlet or waterway or water course through
private property in Dorchester county, to secure proper drain-
age for any public road therein, he shall so inform the County
Commissioners of said county, and if the owners of such prop-
erty consent to the opening of such outlet or water course, and
if the owner or owners and the County Commissioners shall
agree upon the value and price to be paid for the same, then
such consent and agreement shall be entered in the books of the
County Commissioners, and the outlet or water course shall be
opened by the said county road engineer, in accordance with
said agreement; but if the owner or owners and the County
Commissioners shall fail to agree, then the County Commis-
sioners shall have such power and authority to condemn the
land for such outlet or water course as is now or hereafter may
be conferred by the Code of Public General Laws of the State
for condemning public highways, and the said County Com-
missioners shall appoint three examiners to go over such pro-
posed outlet or water course for such drainage, who, or a major-
ity of them, shall estimate the damage of the owner or owners
of the land through which the said outlet or water course may
be opened, and the County Commissioners shall tender to the
owner or owners of said land the amount of damages so esti-
mated as ascertained by said examiners, or a majority of them,
and so soon as the same is tendered to the owner or owners of
said property the said county road engineer shall immediately
cause such water course to be opened ; said county road engi-
neer shall furnish said examiners with a plat, showing the pro-
posed location and profile of such outlet or water course, and
for the purpose of making such plat or profile the said county