618 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 358

Engineer shall not be interested in any firm or corporation
from which anything shall be purchased for the use of said
public roads, bridges or drains, nor receive any commission
on said purchases.

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the County Com-
missioners of St. Mary's County shall have the power by
ordinance or resolution of condemning, laying out, opening,
extending and making new roads and for altering, straighten-
ing, widening, grading, improving, or closing up in whole or
in part any existing road, and for removing trees, posts and
other obstructions, and for building or laying out public
bridges or drains, when in their opinion the public necessity
or convenience requires the same, without any previous ap-
plication or petition. The County Commissioners may con-
tract with the owner or owners of the land for the purpose of
laying out, opening, extending and making new roads, bridges
or drains, or for altering, straightening, widening, grading,
improving or for closing up in whole or in part any existing
public road, bridge or drain, or for the right of way over the
land necessary therefor if he, she or they be competent to
contract; and in case the County Commissioners shall so con-
tract they shall cause a plat of the said road to be made by the
County Road Engineer and filed and recorded in the office of
the Clerk of the Circuit, Court for St. Mary's County, with
the deed or deeds conveying the land so acquired, which plat
shall be referred to in and shall be a part of said deed or
deeds, and the lands so conveyed shall be and become thence-
forth the property of St. Mary's County, and be subject to
the purposes and uses for which granted. If however, the
County Commissioners aforesaid shall proceed by condemna-
tion in the exercise of the powers herein granted, all benefits
and damages done, suffered or incurred by laying out, open-
ing, and making of new roads, bridges or drains, or by alter-
ing, straightening, widening, grading, improving or closing
up, in part or in whole, any existing public roads, bridges or
drains, shall be determined or assessed by three persons; resi-
dents of St. Mary's County and above the age of twenty-one
years, of which the County Road Engineer shall be one, who
shall be appointed by the County Commissioners aforesaid,
and shall, within tea days after notice, of their appointment,
take an oath before a justice of the peace of St. Mary's County
that they will faithfully and fairly and without partiality or