742 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

plaint shall be entitled to be represented by counsel and to
produce any competent testimony, shall find that said county
road engineer is incompetent or has been guilty of wilful, con-
tinued or persistent neglect of duty it shall be their duty to im-
mediately remove said county road engineer from office; but
either party to such hearing shall be entitled to an appeal
from the decision of said Road Commissioners to the Circuit
Court of Charles county, provided that said appeal is taken
within five days thereafter, which appeal shall, be heard de
novo by said court at its next regular term, without the inter-
vention of a jury; and if the said court, after hearing all the
evidence, shall find that the said county road engineer is incom-
petent or has been guilty of wilful neglect of duty, it may pass
an order removing said engineer from office, in which case the
engineer shall not be entitled to receive any salary from the
date of the order of the Road Commissioners from which such
appeal is taken. The said road engineer shall reside in Charles
county during his term of office, and shall have entire charge,
control and supervision of said roads, subject to the approval
and supervision of the Road Commissioners. The salary of
the said engineer, as well as of the supervisors and laborers,
shall be paid monthly. The said engineer shall give bond in the
penalty of five thousand dollars, with such security as the Road
Commissioners may approve, and under such conditions as they
may prescribe in regard to the duties to be performed, and for
the use, safe-keeping and due return of all property placed in
his charge. He shall appear before the Road Commissioners
at their first meeting in each and every month and make a state-
ment to them of the work done and money expended. He
shall examine and certify to the correctness of all bills and
accounts of any work done or materials furnished on the public
roads and bridges of Charles county, before the same shall be
paid by the county treasurer; and the said county treasurer
shall make no payment of such accounts unless certified by
said engineer and approved by the Road Commissioners. He
shall make out annually in writing, a detailed report to the
Road Commissioners of all work done on the county roads and
bridges for the year, together with the names of all persons
working on said roads and bridges, and the amount to which
each person is entitled for such work and which he has certi-
fied as correct, which report shall be made on or before the fif-
teenth day of July in each year; and a copy of the said report
shall be filed with the Road Commissioners at the same time.
The compensation of said Road Commissioners shall be one
hundred dollars per year, to be paid out of the road and bridge
fund in quarterly instalments; any vacancy in the office of Road