502 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 278

amount of damages awarded to such owner or occupants and
the amount of benefits assessed to any lot or parcel of ground,
or owner thereof, together with a certificate of their qualifica-
tions, which may be ratified, or rejected, or altered and amend-
ed in whole or in part by said Commissioners of Willards;
provided that the said Commissioners of Willards shall give
ten days' notice, at least, by posters stuck up in four public
places in said town, 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 commission, and said Commissioners
of Willards shall act on said return within twenty days after
the expiration of said notice, and may issue a new commis-
sion as in their judgment may seem proper, and before actually
proceeding to open, widen, extend, straighten or close any such
street or alley the Commissioners of Willards shall pay or
tender to the person, his agent, guardian or representative the
amount of damages so awarded; and if any one should feel
aggrieved by the action of the Commissioners of Willards in
any matter affected by their decision, he may appeal to the
Circuit Court of Wicomico County by giving written notice
within ten days from said decision filed with the Clerk of the
Commissioners of Willards of his desire to appeal; and on the
filing of the said notice it shall be the duty of the said Clerk
to deliver the papers connected therewith to the Clerk of said
Court, and the same proceedings shall be had on appeal as in
the case of appeal from judgments of justices of the peace;
provided, nevertheless, that the Commissioners of Willards
may decline to open, lay out, extend, widen, grade or straighten
any street, alley or highway or any square, waterway or drain,
notwithstanding the decision of said Court; but in case of re-
fusal so to do they shall be liable for all costs incurred, and
shall pay the same. All benefits assessed by virtue of the
above provisions shall be liens on the respective lots or parcels
of ground on which they are assessed from the time of the
final ratification of the aforesaid return, and shall be collected
as taxes are collected, or may be collected by action of law.
On appeal the Court or jury may alter the award so returned,
whether of damages or benefits, and award costs in its discre-
tion. On final ratification of any report of a commission ap-
pointed under the provisions of this section, the Clerk of the
Commissioners of Willards shall at once record in a, book
kept for that purpose the said return, plat and all proceedings
connected therewith. And if for any reason the person to
whom damages are awarded refuse to receive the damages