J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      681

[40. The board of County Commissioners are hereby authorized,
empowered and required to adopt a scientific and thorough system of
drainage and general improvement for the public county roads of
Somerset County, whenever the same may be needed. To further this
end, the said board are authorized to engage the services of a com-
petent surveyor and engineer, who shall have charge of and superin-
tend such drainage and improvements as shall be adopted. It shall be
the duty of such surveyor and engineer, on complaint of three or more
citizens and taxpayers of the county, to go over, examine and report
to the board of County Commissioners what, if any, drainage and
other improvements are necessary for the road complained of, to-
gether with an estimate of the cost of doing the same, and if, in the
judgment of said board, after receiving said report and estimate,
said drainage shall be necessary, the said board shall order the said
surveyor and engineer to proceed to lay off such ditch or ditches as
may be necessary, and outlets for the same to some creek or branch
which may be a natural drain with ascertained depth and width for
the complete and perfect drainage of the same; and to advertise and
let out the cutting, widening and cleaning of such ditch or making
such improvement on same to the lowest bidder for cash, the time
and character of such advertising to be such as may be adopted by
said board. It shall be the duty of such surveyor and engineer to
supervise the cutting or cleansing of such ditch or ditches, and other
improvements, and no ditch or other improvements shall be received
or paid for until after the same has been examined and reported by
said surveyor and engineer to be perfect in all respects, and to con-
form to the requirements of the contract for cutting or making the
same, and the drainage or other improvements of such road com-
pletely effected; and the said Board of County Commissioners shall
have such power and authority to condemn outlets for such drainage
through private property as is now or hereafter may be conferred
by the Code of Public General Laws of the State of Maryland, for
condemning public highways; and the said board are authorized to
allow and pay said surveyor or engineer for his services, four dollars
per day for every day he may be actually engaged in such service for
the county.

41.   In order to procure the money or moneys necessary to adopt
such system of drainage and improvement of the public roads as
provided for in the foregoing section the Board of County Commis-
sioners are hereby authorized and empowered to issue from time to
time and put on the market bonds to be denominated, Somerset
County Road Bonds, for an amount not exceeding fifty thousand
dollars in the aggregate which bonds shall be issued in amounts of
not less than one hundred dollars for each bond, payable in forty
years from the date thereof and bearing interest at the rate of four
per cent, per annum, the interest to be provided for by levy on the
assessable property of the county each year after the same or any
part thereof have been issued and disposed of and said bonds shall
not be subject to taxation for State, county and municipal purposes
and after twenty years from the date of said bonds, the said Board
of County Commissioners shall make provisions by levy annually for
such amount as may be necessary to meet and pay the principal of
said bonds at their maturity.

42.   Said Board of County Commissioners shall be authorized and
empowered to divide any election district in Somerset County in which