1376                        LAWS OF MARYLAND.                  [CH. 539

23.     Nothing herein contained shall be construed to affect or
limit the powers vested in or duties imposed upon the County
Commissioners of the several counties under the provisions of
Section 240 of Article 23 of the Annotated Code of Maryland,
Edition of 1924.

24.    If any part or parts of this Act or of any section thereof
shall be held to be unconstitutional, such unconstitutionally
shall not affect the validity of the remaining part or parts of
this Act or of any section thereof. The Legislature hereby
declares that it would have passed the remaining parts of this
Act or of any section thereof if it had known that such part
or parts' thereof or of any section thereof would be declared
unconstitutional.

25.    Whenever, for the purpose of building a new road or
widening any existing road or crossing the tracks of any rail-
road, it shall become necessary to condemn any land or water
or any interest in, under or over the same which the State
Roads Commission is authorized to acquire under the preced-
ing sections of this article, it shall and may be lawful for said
commission to proceed as follows: The commission shall cause
to be prepared a preliminary report, with such plat or plats as
may be necessary and showing: (a) The description, quantity
and nature of the property to be taken; (b) the amount of dam-
ages awarded therefor; (c) the amount of benefits assessed to
the adjoining land (which shall not exceed the damage awarded
and costs of condemnation), and which in case of a railroad
crossing shall be governed by the section of this sub-title for
such cases provided; (d) the names of the persons interested in
the property taken or benefited, with their respective estates
and interests therein (and if any such estates or interests shall
belong to the unknown heirs of any deceased owner, the re-
port shall so state); (e) and the damages and benefits awarded
or assessed to each. Upon completion of such report the State
Roads Commission shall, by an advertisement inserted twice
successively in one or more newspapers published in the county
where the land lies, give notice to the parties interested (nam-
ing them) that such preliminary report is open to inspection at
the office of the commission, and that during a period of fifteen
days from the date of the first publication of such notice the
commission will hear objections and make such corrections as
may be proper. After the expiration of said period of fifteen
days a final report, including such plat or plats as may be nee-