1826,

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 149.

extending from the head of said branch until it intersects the
corner of Edward Burrows's field, to meet on the first Monday
of June next, and on the first Monday of June in each and every
year, or within ten days thereafter, at James M'Donnough's ta-
vern at Bullock-town, or at any other place, which a majority of
the proprietors may appoint, in Queen Anne's county, and for
such proprietors, or a majority of those who shall attend said
meeting, then and there annually to elect, by ballot, three of
gaid proprietors for directors, who, when so elected and chosen,
are hereby authorised and empowered, or any two of them, to
make and open a drain or ditch down said branch, from the head
thereof until it shall intersect the corner of Edward Burrows's
field, in such direction and of such width and depth as they, or
a majority of them, may judge most proper to carry off the wa-
ter from the said branch, and reduce the same to dry land; and
the power and authority of said directors, so to be chosen, shall
continue and be in force until the next annual election of direc-
tors.

Expense of cut-
ting ditch to be
paid by proprie-
tors of land

2. And be it enacted, That the cost, charges and expenses,
of cutting and opening said ditch or drain, shall be paid by the
respective proprietors of the same, each paying for the cutting
and opening the said drain or ditch through his or her own land,
except where it shall so happen that two or more of the said pro-
prietors hold parts of the said branch through which the said
ditch or drain shall be made, adjoining each other, part on the
one side thereof, and part on the other, in which case each shall

Directors autho-
rised to cut and

complete ditch

pay in proportion to the part he or she shall or may hold,
3. And be it enacted. That the said directors, or any two of
them, shall have full power and authority, at any time thereafter,
to cut, open and complete, the said drain or ditch, and also from
time to time to repair, cleanse and keep open, and in good or-
der, the said ditch or drain, so to be opened and cut in virtue of
this act, at the expense of the said proprietors, in the same pro-
portion that the expenses of cutting and opening the said ditch
or drain are to be paid; and for the purpose of cutting and open-
ing the said ditch or drain in the first instance, and of repairing
and cleansing the same when cut and opened, the said directors,
or any two of them, are hereby authorised to apportion what
they may conceive the expense thereof will amount to, and de-
mand and receive such proportions respectively from the said,
proprietors, before or at any time after the commencement of

Proviso

said work, or after the same is finished; Provided always that
inasmuch as it may be inconvenient for some of the proprietors
through whose lands said ditch or drain shall pass, to satisfy and
answer all the expenses of cutting and opening said ditch or
drain at one time, the said directors, or any two of them, may
make an estimate of the expenses of cutting the said ditch or
drain, through that part of the branch in which the said ditch or
drain shall pass, and apportion the same as above directed; and
that the same be paid by the proprietors respectively of that
particular part of said branch, unto the said directors, at three
annual payments, one third of which to be discharged on or be-
fore the first Monday of April eighteen hundred and twenty-
eight, one third on or before the first day of April eighteen hun-