Wallingford Novr. 7th 1864 My dear McLean, I have your note by the Trooper - In reply to the principal object of your letter viz. the granting land to the Defence Corps men at Nukaka, there are several points to be considered before the Province ought in my opinion to act. In the first place will the Genl. Govt. allow free grants in Hawkes Bay when the same privilege will not probably be given in the other Provinces where the force has been stationed. You know that is the case of the military settlers and the Genl. Govt. we were requested not to interfere with the supreme powers arrangements I think it extremely probable that this would be in the case in the present instance. When I consider the probability of success of a settlement formed by men such as the Defence Corps is composed of - my judgement tells me that it wd. certainly be a failure nor do I see the probability of the part of the Province referred to being occupied (with a reasonable time) by a class who will employ labour and assist the men in succeeding in their location. Nor must we on any account enter into any implied pledge to assist their location by Govt. expenditure in the shape of roads - such wd. be an unwarrantable breach of the relations between the Prov. Council and the Govt. At the same time that I urge the foregoing and many other points which I have not time to refer to. I am quite alive to the value the mens service might be to the Province. I shd. like to keep them here if possible. But the last thing I should do with a class of men like the Defence force would be to settle them down in what is at present a purely native district nor do I believe that the Govt. of the Colony wd. agree to such being done, I know personally a great number of the men and know that the probable result of the location of a number of people like these among a native population wd. be a row. I would agree perhaps to assist them in the way proposed either upon land near Napier where the military settlers were to have been located or on a portion of the seventy mile bush land were that in our hands. I could then see the probability of the men's settlement answering as would be in a position where they would undoubtedly be listed by a demand for labour in their vicinity. But even in the Districts I have named I would infinitely sooner see a class of settlers placed up the land with their wives and families than men like the Defence Corps who are mostly single and who cannot be expected from their previous mode of life and training to accommodate themselves to the necessities of a settlement depend upon their labour and steadiness for its success. The has been waiting for some time and I must conclude this. In haste yours very truly, J. D. Ormond.