224 LAWS RELATING TO AGRICULTURE; 



levies upon the grand duplicate of the county authorized by section 

 four thousand eight hundred and thirty sir (a) of this act; and shall also 

 order that the balance of said cost and expense shall be assessed upon 

 and collected from the owners of the lots and lands, and from the lots 

 and lands benefited thereby, in proportion to the benefit to be derived 

 therefrom by said lots and lands. Said order shall also state the lands 

 which shall be subject to be assessed for the cost and expense of said 

 improvement, and whether the estimated .assessment therefor shall be 

 made before the improvement is commenced, or after the same is com- 

 pleted. 



SEC. 4836^. [Appointment and removal of engineer; plans, pro- 

 files, etc.; letting of the work.] After making such order for an im- 

 provement, the commissioners shall appoint a competent engineer to 

 superintend the performance and completion of the work, who shall, 

 under the directions and with the approval of said commissioners pre- 

 pare and file the necessary plans, profiles and specifications of the work. 

 After such plans and specifications as the commissioners deem necessary 

 are adopted, the work shall be publicly let by the county commission- 

 ers to the lowest responsible bidder, who shall enter into bond with 

 sufficient sureties, and in such amount as the commissioners shall ap- 

 prove and determine, conditioned for the faithful performance of said 

 work. Notice of such letting shall first be published for at least four 

 weeks in some newspaper printed in the county and of general circula- 

 tion therein, stating the nature and extent of the work and the time 

 when said letting will be made, or, if sealed bids are required, when 

 the same will be opened. The commissioners may let the work as a 

 whole, or in convenient sections, as they may determine. The commis- 

 sioners may require a bond from each bidder in such sums 'as they may 

 determine, with sureties to their approval, conditioned that if the con- 

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

 and execute the bond, with approved sureties, for the faithful perform- 

 ance of the contract. The county commissioners may for cause 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 

 reasonable bid is made for said work, refuse to enter into such contract, 

 but readvertise the same. 



SEC. 4836^ [Estimated assessment of expenses; objections 

 thereto ; equalizing board, its powers and duties ; assessment of life es- 

 tates.] The said commissioners shall, either before the said improve- 

 ment is commenced, or after the same is completed, as they shall have de- 

 termined at the time of ordering the improvement, appoint three disinter- 

 ested freeholders of the county, resident therein, to make, upon actual 

 view, and to report to said commissioners, an estimated assessment of 

 the proportion of the cost and expense aforesaid upon the lots and lands 

 to be charged therewith, or upon such of the lots and lands included in 

 the descriptions and boundaries aforesaid, as in their judgment should 

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

 result from said improvement to the lots or lands so assessed, which 

 assessment shall be filed with the county commissioners, and kept hi 

 the auditor's office for public inspection. Before adopting the assess- 

 ment 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 that the 

 same is on file in the office of the auditor for inspection ; and if no ob- 



