1118 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

proving or closing up in whole or in part any existing street or
alley, or laying out public squares, drains and watercourses,
shall be determined and assessed by three disinterested per-
sons, or a majority of them, residents of said city, appointed
by the Mayor and approved by the Council, who shall within
ten days after notification of their appointment, take an oath
before a justice of the peace of Wicomico county that they will
faithfully and fairly and without partiality or prejudice, value
and assess the loss and damages to be suffered and incurred
by any person or persons interested in said property over,
through and by which the said street or alley, square, drain or
watercourse is to be opened, closed, extended, widened, graded
or improved, and also to estimate the benefits that may accrue
therefrom to any such property over, through and by which
the said street or alley, drain or watercourse is to be opened,
closed, extended, widened, graded or improved, or any prop-
erty adjacent thereto, or any other property injured or bene-
fited by said street, alley, drain, square or watercourse; they
shall give at least ten days' notice in one or more newspapers
published in said city of their purpose to lay out, open, extend,
close up, widen, straighten, grade or improve the street or
alley, square, drain or watercourse so directed to be laid out,
opened, extended, closed up, widened, straightened, graded or
improved, and of the day, hour and place of meeting for the
said purpose; and they shall meet at the time and place men-
tioned in said notice given by them, and proceed to exercise
the power and perform the duties assigned to and required of
them, and to ascertain whether any and what amount in value
of damages 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 benefit which will thereby accrue to such owner or occu-
pant thereof, and ascertain what amount in value of benefit
will thereby accrue to any lot or parcel of land by or through
which the same may pass or improvements be made, or any
other property, 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
explanatory 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 sus-
tained damages or received benefits, and they shall within
twenty days return to the Mayor and Council 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 owner thereof, together with a certi-