LAWS RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. 165 



shall be publicly let by the county commissioners to the lowest responsi- 

 ble bidder, who' shall enter into bond with sufficient sureties, and in such 

 amount as the commissioners shall approve and determine, conditioned 

 for the faithful performance of said work. 



[Notice of letting.] Notice of such letting shall be first published 

 for at least four weeks in some newspaper printed in the county and of 

 general circulation therein, stating the nature and extent of the wurk 

 and the time when said letting will be made; or, if sealed bids are re- 

 quired, when the same will be opened. The commissioners may let the 

 work as a whole, or in convenient sections as they may determine. The 

 commissioners may require a bond from each bidder in such sums as 

 they may determine, with sureties to their approval, conditioned that 

 if the contract be awarded on such bid, the bidder will enter into the 

 contract and execute the bond, with approved sureties, for the faithful 

 performance of the contract. The county commissioners may remove the 

 engineer herein provided for at any time, and appoint another in his 

 place. And they may, in their discretion, if in their judgment no reas- 

 onable bid is made for said work, refuse to accept any bid so made or 

 to enter into such contract, but re-advertise the same. 



(4670-16) SEC. 3. [Engineer to make an estimated assessment.] 



The said commissioners shall either before the said improvement is com- 

 menced, or after the same is completed, as they shall have determined 

 at the time of ordering the improvement, order said engineer to make, 

 upon actual view, and to report to said commissioners, an estimated as- 

 sessment of the proportion of the cost and expense aforesaid upon the 

 real estate to be charged therewith, or upon such real estate included 

 in the descriptions and boundaries aforesaid, as in his judgment should 

 be assessed, in proportion as nearly as may be to the benefits which may 

 result from such improvement to the real estate so assessed, which assess- 

 ment shall be filed with the county commissioners, and kept in the 

 auditor's office for public inspection. 



[Adoption of report, etc.] Before adopting the assessment so 

 made and reported, the said commissioners shall publish notice for three 

 weeks consecutively, in some newspaper of general circulation in the 

 county, that such assessment has been made and the same is on file in 

 the office of the auditor for inspection ; and if no objections are filed 

 thereto within one week after the date of the last publication of said 

 notice, the commissioners may confirm the same. 



[Objections to assessment.] If the owner of any property as- 

 sessed objects to the assessment so made, he shall file his objections in 

 writing with the said commissioners within one week after the date of 

 the last publication of said notice, and thereupon the commissioners shall 

 appoint three other disinterested freeholders, to act as an equalizing 

 board, who shall meet at the county auditor's office at a time to be fixed 

 by the county commissioners, with power to adjourn from time to time, 

 who shall hear and determine all objections to said assessment, equalize 

 the same, or approve the assessment already made, as they shall deem 

 just. They shall report their action to said commissioners, who shall 

 have power to confirm the same, or set the same aside and cause a new 

 equalizing board to be appointed with like powers and qualifications. 

 When said assessment is confirmed by the county commissioners, the 

 >ame shall be final. The members of said assessing and equalizing board 

 shall, before entering upon their duties, take an oath before a proper 



