130 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 61

respect to the abutting property, which map or plat shall be
included by the Department of Assessments in the return
of its proceedings.

2. Whenever proceedings are instituted under Article 33-A
of the Code of Public General Laws of the State of Maryland,
by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore for the ac-
quisition of any property, situate in Baltimore City, the
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore may file with its
petition for condemnation, or at any time before the
selection of the jury in said proceedings, a request for the
appointment of apppraisers to value such property. Upon the
filing of said request for the appointment of appraisers, the
court or any judge thereof, shall appoint as appraisers three
(3) citizens of the City of Baltimore, not in anywise interest-
ed in the property to be condemned, nor related to the owner
or owners thereof, each of whom shall, before acting, make
oath before the clerk of said court, that he will justly and im-
partially value the property described in this petition for con-
demnation and the interests of the several owners thereof, and
the said appraisers shall value the property, and apportion
the same among the owner or owners thereof, according to the
value of their respective interests and return, within ten (10)
days from the date of their appointment, to the said court,
said valuation, under their hands and seals, and immediately
upon the return of the appraisers of their valuation to the
court, the City may pay to the owner or owners of such prop-
erty, according to their respective interests, the amount of
such valuation and give bond, with penalty to be fixed by the
court, and security to be approved by the court, to pay any
additional amount which may be finally determined to be due
and, thereupon, at any time after the expiration of ten (10)
days from the date of payment of the amount fixed by the
appraisers, the City may take possession of the property and
proceed with the improvement for which the same is sought
to be acquired; and the acceptance by the property owner of
the sum fixed by the appraisers, shall not prejudice his con-
tention, if he makes such contention, that he should be allow-
ed a larger sum. Thereafter, the proceedings shall continue,
and the jury shall fix the damages to be awarded for said
property as if said payment had not been made. If the prop-
erty to be acquired is to be used for the laying out, opening,
extending, widening or straightening of any highway, street,
square, lane or alley, after the damages to be awarded have
been ascertained by the jury in such proceedings, the De-
partment of Assessments shall proceed to assess the benefits
.for said laying out, opening, extending, widening or straight-
ening of said highway, street, square, lane or alley, in the
same manner as if damages had been assessed by it under
Section 228 of the Baltimore City Charter (1938 Edition).
The Department of Assessments shall state in their report