1410 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 801

limits, and to straighten, widen or change existing roads,
streets or highways, and they shall be authorized to do all
things necessary to keep such streets, roads or highways,
within such corporate limits in good condition, and free from
obstruction, and they may pass ordinances regulating such
roads, highways or streets and imposing fines and forfeitures
for obstructing the same. The said corporation may make
arrangements with the County Commissioners of said county
whereby the expense of keeping up said streets or roads may be
paid by the county, and the said County Commissioners shall
provide for the expense of keeping up the county roads or
highways which pass through said town.

32. The said Mayor and Council of Hurlock shall have
full power to provide for laying out, opening, extending, wid-
ening, straightening or closing up, in whole or in part, any
street, lane or alley within the limits of the town which, in
their opinion, the public welfare or convenience may require, to
provide for ascertaining whether any and what amount in
value of damages will be caused thereby, and what amount of
benefit will thereby accrue to the owner or possessor of any
ground or improvements within or adjacent to the town for
which each owner or possessor ought to be compensated or
ought to pay as compensation, and to provide for assessing and
levying either generally upon the whole assessable property
of the town or specially on the property of persons benefited,
the whole or any part of the amount of damages and expense
which they shall ascertain will be incurred in locating, open-
ing, extending, widening, straightening or closing tip the whole
or any part of any street, lane or alley in the town, and for
the collection thereof; to provide for granting appeals to the
Circuit Court for Dorchester County from the decisions of
any commissioners whom they are empowered to appoint by
ordinance to ascertain the damage which will be caused or
the benefits which will accrue to the owners or possessors of
grounds or straightening or closing, in whole or in part, any
street, lane or alley within the town, and for securing to every
such owner or possessor the right, on application within a
reasonable time, to have decided by jury trial whether any
damage has been caused or any benefit has accrued to him,
and to what amount, to provide for collecting and paying
over the amount of compensation adjudged to each person
or investing it, in the discretion of the corporation in gome
stock or otherwise bearing an interest not lower than four
per cent per annum for the use of any such person who, be-
cause of their infancy, absence from the city, or any other
cause, may be prevented from receiving it, before any street,
lane or alley, in whole or in part, shall be so opened, ex-