ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR.                1293

missioners shall make a report to the Mayor, and transmit a
copy thereof to the City Council, showing the status of their
proceedings under every such ordinance which shall have
been passed and shall not have been fully executed. The
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore may, in its discre-
tion, in the annual Ordinance of Estimates, set aside a sum
from the general levy or from any other funds properly appli-
cable thereto, to be used, in the discretion of the said Commis-
sioners, with the approval of the Board of Estimates, in pay-
ing any damages awarded under the provisions hereof. The
benefits when collected shall be credited to the funds from
which such payments shall have been made. All damages
awarded hereunder shall be payable within ninety days from
the date of such award; provided, that in the event of an appeal
from the action of said Commissioners or of an attack upon
the legality or validity of the ordinance or the proceedings
thereunder, such damages shall not be due and payable until
thirty days after the final termination of any such appeal
and/or final determination of any attack upon the legality or
validity of any such ordinance or any of the proceedings there-
under. Failure on the part of the Mayor and City Council of
Baltimore to pay damages within the time prescribed herein
shall entitle the party entitled to such damages to interest on
the amount awarded at the rate of six per centum per annum
thereafter.

177A. In any ordinance for opening, extending, widening,
straightening, closing or grading any street, lane or alley in
the City of Baltimore, the Mayor and City Council of Balti-
more may provide that the assessments of benefits may be made
payable in annual installments, not exceeding five, with in-
terest at six per cent, on the deferred installments accounting
from ninety days after the time when the actual work of physi-
cally opening, extending, widening, straightening, closing or
grading any such street, lane or alley is completed. If any
such ordinance does not provide otherwise as to the time of
payment of benefits, then all benefits assessed thereunder shall
be payable, at the option of the person assessed, either at once
or in five equal installments, one of which shall be due ninety
days after the time when the actual work of physically open-
ing, extending, widening, straightening, closing or grading any
such street, lane or alley is completed and the other install-
ments shall be due and payable, with legal interest thereon,
respectively, one, two, three and four years thereafter; pro-