ART. 25] GENERAL PROVISIONS. 765

General Provisions.

1904, art. 25, sec. 1. 1888, art. 25, sec. 1. 1860, art. 28, sec. 1. 1874, ch. 411.
1906, ch. 249. 1910, ch. 664 (p. 85).

1. The county commissioners of each county in this State are
declared to be a corporation and shall have full power to appoint road
supervisors, collectors of taxes, trustees of the poor, a clerk to their
board, and all other officers, agents and servants required for county
purpose not otherwise provided for by law or by the constitution, and
they shall have charge of and control over the property owned by the
county, and over county roads and bridges, and whenever in their opin-
ion the public interests require or will be thereby advanced, may com-
mit the whole matter of grading and constructing public roads and the
repairs thereof, and the construction and repairs of public bridges to
the charge of competent and scientifically educated civil engineers, who
shall direct and manage all such public works under the immediate
control of said county commissioners, and who shall hold office for such
time, with such salary, under such bond and subject to such regulations
as may be directed by the said county commissioners from time to
time, and calculated to secure competent officers and a faithful dis-
charge of duty; provided that the person appointed to act as attorney
for the county commissioners in Cecil county, under the provisions of
this section shall receive the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars per
annum in full compensation for all services rendered by him as such
attorney to said board of commissioners for Cecil county.*

Authority of county commissioners.

County commissioners have limited authority and persons dealing with
them are charged with knowledge of the extent of their powers. Their char-
ters need not specifically designate every act they may do, nor every officer
they may appoint. It is the duty of the county commissioners to assess
unassessed lands for taxation; hence, they may employ a person to make
abstracts of title of unassessed lands, and if his report is adopted, or. being
received, ought to be adopted, they must pay for it. Tasker v. Garrett
County, 82 Md. 153.

The county commissioners can only perform acts expressly or impliedly
permitted by their charter. Peter v. Prettyman, 62 Md. 571.

The county commissioners have discretion to determine which public roads
at any time need repairing, etc., and the amount to be expended. Blundon v.
Crosier, 93 Md. 358.

Under this section, the county commissioners may provide by an agree-
ment for the construction, grading and bridging of a road to the satisfaction
of the roads engineer. Riggs v. Winterode, 100 Md. 444.

Under this section, the county commissioners may appoint all other officers,
etc., required for county purposes in addition to those provided for by the
constitution or acts of assembly. Washington County v. Neabltt, 6 Md. 470.

Under this section, the county commissioners may contract for a fireproof
vault in which to keep court records. Smith Fire Proof Co. v. Monroe, 97 Md.
371.

A local law providing for the appointment of a treasurer for Carroll county,
held not to operate to impair or diminish the powers of the county commis-
sioners under this section. Frownfelter v. State, 66 Md. 84.

*As to St. Mary's county, see acts 1908, ch. 381. As to Somerset county, see acts
1908, ch. 443, and 1910, ch. 274 (p. 1119). As to Prince George's county, see acts
1910, ch. 90 (p. 1039).