1860.

LAWS OP MARYLAND.

CHAP. 138.

less than ten nor more than thirty days after issuing
the same, and in case any of the jurors aforesaid do
not attend the sheriff shall, instanter, summons as
many jurors as may be necessary with the jurors in
attendance, to finish a panel of twenty-eight jurors
in attendance, and from them each party, his, her,
or their agent, and if either be not present in person
or by agent, the sheriff may strike off four jurors for
each of the absent parties, and the remaining twelve
shall act as such; the sheriff shall administer to
each of them an oath or affirmation, as the case
may be, that he will justly and impartially value
the damages and benefits which the owner or own-
ers of said lands will sustain by the use or occupa-
tion of the same by the company, if required by
the party or parties whose lands are to be affected
by their proceedings, or by the said railroad com-
pany, or their agent or agents; the jury shall
cause to be summoned such witnesses as the parties
may require, and shall examine them on oath or
affirmation in relation to the value of property to be
condemned, and they shall reduce the testimony, if
any is taken by them, to writing, and after the
testimony is closed and without any unnecessary
delay, and after having made a fair and just com-
parison of the advantages and disadvantages arising
from the said railroad, they shall estimate and de-
termine whether any, and if any, what amount of
damages has been or may be sustained by the said
owner or owners, respectively, and make a report

Verdict to be
returned to
clerk of Cir-
cuit court.

thereof accordingly, and the said jury shall reduce
their inquisitions to writing, shall sign and seal
the same, and it shall then be returned by the said
sheriff to the clerk of the Circuit court of his county,
and by such clerk filed in his court, and shall be
confirmed by said court at its next session, if 110
sufficient cause to the contrary be shown, and when
confirmed shall be recorded by said clerk, but if
set aside the said court may direct another in-
quisition, to take place in the manner before de-
scribed, whose decision shall be returned as before

When the
valuation is
tendered, the
company to
be entitled to
property.

directed, and such valuation, when paid as tender-
ed, to the owner or owners of said property, or his,
her, or their legal representatives, shall entitle the
> said company to the estate and interest in the same
thus valued, as fully as if it had been conveyed by
the owner or owners of the same, and the said val-
uation, if hot received when tendered, may at any