1220 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 708

out public bridges or drains, when in their opinion the public
necessity or convenience requires the same, without any
previous application or petition. The County Commissioners
may contract 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, widen-
ing, 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 contract they shall cause a plat of the said road to
be made, 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 thenceforth 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 condemnation in the exercise of the
powers herein granted, all benefits and damages done, suffered
or incurred by laying* out, opening, and making of new roads,
bridges or drains, or by altering, 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, residents of St. Mary's County
and above the age of twenty-one years, who shall be appointed
by the County Commissioners aforesaid, and shall, within ten
days after notice of their appointment, take an oath before a
justice of the peace of St. Mary's County that they will faith-
fully and fairly and without partiality or prejudice value
and assess the cost of damages to be suffered and incurred
by any persons interested in the said property over, through
and by which the said road, bridge or drain is to be opened,
closed, extended, widened, graded or improved; and also to
estimate the benefits that may accrue therefrom to any such
property owner, through and by which the said road, bridge
or drain is to be opened, closed, extended, widened, graded
or improved or any property adjacent thereto, or any other
property injured or benefited by said road, bridge or drain;
they shall give at least fifteen days' notice in a newspaper
published in St. Mary's County of their purpose to lay out,
open, extend, close up, widen, straighten, grade or improve the
road, bridge, or drain as directed to be laid out, opened, extend-
ed, closed up, widened, straightened, graded or improved and
of the day, hour and place of meeting for that purpose; and
they shall meet at the time and place mentioned in the notice
given by them and proceed to exercise the powers and perform
the duty assigned to and required of them and to ascertain