23-313.

Levees; dikes; petition; remonstrance; hearing; powers of board.

On or before the day fixed for the hearing of such report the owners of any land affected by the work proposed may remonstrate against said petition and report, which remonstrance shall be verified by affidavit. If more than one party remonstrates, the same shall be consolidated and tried together, and the report of the engineer shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated. The supervisors or board of commissioners shall try the issue thus formed, and if they find for the remonstrance, the petition and report shall be dismissed at the cost of the petitioners, or shall be so amended as to comply with the findings of the board, which amended petition and report shall stand as final; Provided, that if donations shall be made or secured to the satisfaction of the supervisors or board, sufficient with the assessment to exceed the expenses of the work and damages allowed, if any, the petition and report shall not be dismissed, and such donations are hereby authorized to be made. The board shall have power to permit amendments to be made to the petition or report, and to continue the hearing from time to time, so as to subserve the ends of justice.