SOMERSET COUNTY. 442£

neighboring freeholders; and the said arbitrators so selected shall meet
not later than five days after the expiration of the said thirty days' notice
on the boundary line of the proposed partition drain or line ditch, and
determine the necessity therefor, and their decision therein shall be final
and binding on the parties.

And further provided, That the two preceding sections (161 and 162)
are to apply only to private ditches which are partition or line ditches
between adjoining properties and not to apply to public, assessed or tax
ditches.

1918, ch. 161, sec. 48.

164. The provisions of the preceding sections of this article relating
to draining lands shall apply to all lands requiring drainage in the county.

1918, ch. 161, sec. 49.

165. All Acts and parts of Acts inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act, are hereby repealed, but nothing herein contained shall be con-
strued to make void or invalid any of the proceedings taken or drains
establish under Article 25 of the Code of Public General Laws of Mary-
land, title "County Commissioners" subtitle Draining Lands" which is
to a very large extent embodied herein, which said drains and ditches and
the proceedings establishing the same are hereby adopted and legalized and
they are to be continued and operate as if established under this Article.

1904, ch. 154, sec. 2.

166. The County Commissioners of Somerset County shall deliver to
the Treasurer a statement of the taxes levied for making said ditches,
wholly within said county, with the sums which each person is bound to
pay, and such tax or assessment made and returned to and confirmed
by said County Commissioners shall remain in full force for the term of
twenty years from such confirmation, and shall be the proportion or basis
upon which other and further taxes may be levied by the managers for
all necessary purposes for cutting and making or for cleaning and repair-
ing such ditches.*

1904, ch. 154, sec. 3.

167. After a lapse of twenty years a new assessment may be had by
application of ten or more, or a majority of said taxables, to said County
Commissioners, in which case the said County Commissioners shall have
jurisdiction for the purpose of enlargement, straightening, cleansing out,
repairing or extending such ditch or ditches, and shall thereupon pro-
ceed to appoint a commission of judicious and impartial freeholders, as
provided in Article 25 of the Public General Laws, for the locating and
opening of a ditch or ditches, who shall make an assessment and return
of their proceedings in the manner provided in said Article 25, which
shall be subject to an order of review as provided in said Article 25.
See sec. 135.

*Sec. 1, ch. 154, 1904, repealed secs. 49 and 50 of Art. 25 of the Code of Public-
General Laws as amended by ch. 649, 1892, in so far as they applied to Somerset
County.