HARRY W. NICE, GOVERNOR. 1337

street or alley, square, park, playground, drain, sewer or
water-course is to be opened, closed, extended, widened, graded
or improved, and also to estimate the benefits that may ac-
crue therefrom to any such property over, through and by
which the said street or alley, square, park, playground, drain,
sewer or water-course is to be opened, closed, extended, wid-
ened, graded, or improved or any property adjacent thereto,
or any other property injured or benefited by said street, al-
ley, square, park, playground, drain, sewer or water-course;
they shall give at least ten days' notice in one or more news-
papers published in Caroline County and also by written or
printed notice mailed to the last known postoffice address of
the owner or owners of said property, of their purposes to
lay out, open, extend, close up, widen, straighten, grade or
improve the street or alley, or square, park, playground, drain,
sewer or water-course so directed to be laid out, opened, ex-
tended, closed up, widened, straightened, graded or improved,
and the day, hour and place of the meeting for the said pur-
poses; and they shall meet at the time and place mentioned in
said notice given by them, and proceed to exercise the power
to perform the duties assigned to and required of them, and
to ascertain whether any and what amount in value of dam-
ages will be caused thereby, for which the owner or occupant
of any right or interest in any ground or improvement ought
to be compensated over and above the amount in value of bene-
fit which will thereby accrue to such owner or occupant there-
of, and ascertain what amount in value of benefit will thereby
accrue to any lot or parcel of land by or through which the
game may pass or improvements be made, or any other prop-
erty, or to the owner or occupant thereof, which the said lot
or parcel of land, or the owner or occupant thereof ought to
pay. They shall locate boundaries and prepare an explana-
tory map, giving description of the street or alley opened,
closed, extended, widened, straightened or improved, with
each separate lot or parcel of land deemed to have sustained
damages or received benefits, and they shall within twenty
days return to the Commissioners of Ridgely such map, to-
gether with the amount of damages awarded to such owner
or occupants and the amount of benefits assessed to any lot
or parcel of ground, or the owners thereof together with a cer-
tificate of their qualifications, which may be ratified, or re-
jected or altered and amended, in whole or in part by said
Commissioners of Ridgely; provided that the Commissioners
of Ridgely shall give at least ten days' notice by publication
in one of the newspapers published in said county and at
least ten days' notice mailed to the last known postoffice ad-
dress of the owner or owners of said property so interested
of the time set for final, action on the return of said assessors,