GEORGE HOWARD, ESQ. GOVERNOR.

1831.

Sec. 9. And be it enacted, That the directors, or a majori-
ty of them, shall have power to cause to be laid out, and

CHAP, 146.

with the consent of the owner of the land, to open and make
passabb, any road or roads, from any landing place which
they shall deem convenient to use on the Chesapeak Bay,
or on any of the rivers or inlets on the Eastern Shore of this
State, to the line of the State of Delaware; and if the own-
ers, or any owner, of such land as may be designated, se-
lected or laid out by the said directors, for a road or land-

Authority to lay
out roads.

ing place, shall be legally incapable of consenting, or if the
said directors cannot, from any cause obtain the consent of
any owner or owners of any land deemed by them necessary
for a road or landing place, as aforesaid, it shall be the duty
of the sheriff of the county in which such land may be, on
the application or request of the said directors, to summon
within twelve days after he shall receive such application,
twelve good and lawful men, freeholders in the said county,
not interested or related to any of the said owners, or to any
member of the said corporation, as a jury, to meet on and
examine the land so deemed necessary for a road or land-
ing, and on their oaths, to be administered by the said she-
riff, carefully and impartially to inquire and ascertain, as
well, who are the owners or owner of the said land requir-
ed, as the damages that will be sustained by each owner of
any such land, and make an inquisition thereof, under their
hands and seals; which inquisition shall be returned by the
said sheriff, to the clerk of the county court of the county,
to be by him recorded; and the costs of taking and record-
ing such inquisition shall be paid by the said corporation,
and on payment of the damages so ascertained, or tendering
the amount thereof to the person or persons entitled to re-
ceive the same, or in case of their refusal to accept, depo-
siting the amount in the Franklin Bank of Baltimore to the
credit of the person or persons so entitled, the right to use
such land for a road or landing place, shall be vested in the

Method of acquir-
ing lands therefor.

company hereby incorporated: Provided, that nothing in this
act contained, shall be construed to authorise said company
to obtain possession or the use of, any private wharf alrea-
dy established, without the consent of the owner or owners
of such wharf.

Provisos

Sec. 10. And be.it enacted, That nothing in this act con-
tained, shall be construed to restrain the legislature from
imposing or levying such reasonable tax by license or other-
wise, upon all vessels, property, estate and funds, in which
the capital stock of said company shall be invested, in com-
mon with similar vessels, property, estate and funds, of any
other corporation or individuals of this state; and that this

Reserved powers.