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10
Works. Mr. Corbett had held the office from the constitution of
the Highway Board; at first devoting his whole time to it, but in
April, 1853, time was expressly given him to attend to his own
business ; and his salary reduced to £80 per annum.
The compensation claimed by him was an annuity of £52 10s,
or an equivalent in the sum of £745 4s. 6d.
The Board were of opinion that, apart from the exorbitance of
such a claim, there were peculiar circumstances in this case which
justified the award of a comparatively trifling sum, and accordingly
voted Mr. Corbett £40 as the amount of half-a-year's salary. From
this award he appealed to the Metropolitan Board of Works, who,
in accordance with a general rule observed by them in such cases,
made a final award of an annuity of £20 for seven years and nine
months, if Mr. Corbett should so long live (to be computed from the
1st January, 1856); subject to the proviso at the end of the section
referred to for suspending the annuity in the event therein mentioned.
Mr. Parks's contract with the Highway Board, for the cartage of
material expired on the 25th of March, 1856, and he declined to
renew it; when the Board advertised for tenders for the work and
were reluctantly obliged to enter into a contract with Mr. Colson,
from the 16th April, 1856, to the 25th March, 1857, at a considerably
higher rate, viz., at 2d. per cubic yard, per furlong; and 10s.
per day for the hire of each set of one horse and harness, and one
cart and man.

*Mr. Willmott undertakes the cleaning of the roads and streets of Blaekheath as an
equivalent for the road scrapings.