78 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 31

they may at once issue coupon bonds of said corporation there-
for, at a rate of interest not exceeding six per centum per
annum, payable in not less than fifteen or more than thirty
years with interest payable semi-annually; said bonds to be
free from all State, county and municipal taxes; the said Mayor
and Councilmen may levy a tax to pay the interest thereon and
provide a sinking fund for the redemption of said bonds.

Section 153. The Mayor and Councilmen shall have full
power and authority, whenever in their judgment the public
interests or convenience may require, to have any street, lane
or alley, or part thereof, in said city, graded, paved, curbed,
sewered, regraded, repaved, recurbed, resewered or otherwise
improved, and apportion the expense of such improvement,
exclusive of the cost of such curbing or recurbing, which shall
be charged in full to the abutting property owners, among the
owners of lots fronting on said streets, lanes or alleys, or
improved portion thereof, so that one-third of such expense
shall be borne by the owners of each abutting lot on each side
of said street, lane or alley, or part thereof, so improved, and
the remaining third of such expense shall be paid by said city.

Provided, that in the event of such paving, repaving or re-
pairing of streets, lanes or alleys, or part thereof, and upon
the property lines, tracks or franchise rights of any street car
company located and having its tracks upon said street, lane or
alley, or part thereof, so improved, then the Mayor and Council-
men shall collect in the manner hereinafter provided from said
street car company a sum of money equal to the extent such
property shall have been specially benefited by such improve-
ments. And it shall be the duty of the Mayor and Councilmen
to provide by ordinance for the appointment of commissioners
to assess the value of such improvements, and the Mayor and
Councilmen shall give reasonable notice and an opportunity
to be heard to all persons interested before the final ascertain-
ment of the amount of tax to be paid by any such property;
and the said Mayor and Councilmen shall provide for appeals
to the Circuit Court for Allegany County by any person or
persons interested, including the Mayor and Councilmen, from
the decision of any commissioner or other persons appointed
to determine the amount or amounts of such assessments, with
the right to any person or persons interested or the Mayor and
Councilmen to an appeal to the Court of Appeals.

And the Mayor and Councilmen shall provide by ordinance
for the giving of notice by publication or by service of writ-