ART. 3. ] BALTIMORE COUNTY. 495

awarding contracts for labor or materials, or other matters in
which powers of discretion are vested in it under the provisions
of this sub-title.

362. The Highways Commission shall have the power to issue
subpoenas for witnesses, and the president thereof shall have
power to administer the oath to any witness who may be ex-
amined before the Commission, said oath to have all the quali-
ties of an oath taken before any other judicial tribunal or
officers, and violations thereof to be punishable as other per-
juries are punishable, and the Commission shall have full
power to give judgment in any hearing before it as to costs,
which judgments shall be enforceable in the same manner as
other judgments for costs rendered by competent tribunals.

363. Said Commission shall have the power to require all
notices provided by this sub-title to be given, or which it may
be necessary to give in the course of any of its proceedings, to
be served by any of the constables of Baltimore county, and to
allow the sum of forty cents and no more for the service of
every such notice; and any constable failing to serve any such
notice or making any false return as to such service shall be
punishable as for other similar violations of duties required by
law to be performed by him.

364. No franchise or right in relation to any highway, ave-
nue, street, lane or alley, either on, above or below the surface
of the same, shall be granted by the Highways Commission of
Baltimore county, until the following provisions shall have been
complied with: (1) The application for such franchise or
right shall be published by the applicant once a week for three
successive weeks in two newspapers published in Baltimore
county and having general circulation, setting forth the loca-
tion, character and extent of the franchise sought; (2) upon
the first publication of said notice it shall be the duty of the
said Highways Commission to make diligent inquiry as to the
money value of the franchise or right asked to be granted, and
the adequacy of the compensation proposed to be paid there-
for; (3) if any objection is made to the granting of the franchise
asked by any person or persons interested therein, either as tax-
payers or having property rights involved, and filed in writing
with the secretary to the board, before the expiration of said
notice, opportunity shall be granted and a time set for the
hearing of such objections.

365. If no valid objection is made to the granting of such
franchise and it appear to the said board that the granting of
the same is expedient and proper, the said board shall have
authority to grant such franchise for such money compensa-
tion as it shall upon inquiry determine proper and as may be