1098 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

tice of the peace of Somerset County that they will faithfully
and fairly, and without partiality or prejudice value and assess
the loss and damage to be suffered and incurred by any person
or persons interested in said property oyer, through or 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 property adjacent thereto,
or any other property injured or benefited 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 purposes 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 mentioned 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 compen-
sated over and above the amount in value of benefit which will
thereby accrue to such owner or occupant thereof, and ascer-
tain 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 lo-
cate boundaries and prepare an explanatory map giving de-
scriptions of the street or alley opened, closed, extended, wid-
ened, 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 Mayor and
Council such maps, together with the amount of damages
awarded to such owner or occupants and the amounts of bene-
fits assessed to any lot or parcel of ground, or the owner there-
of, together with a certificate of their qualifications, which may
be ratified, or rejected, or altered and amended, in whole or in
part by said Mayor and Council; provided that the Mayor and
Council shall give ten days' notice, at least, by publication in
one of the newspapers published in said city, or by ten days'
notice, at least, in writing to each property owner so interested,
of the time set for final action on return of said examiner; and
said Mayor and Council shall act on said return within twenty