Dent family connections
Conditions upon which land in the North Island will be granted to settlers willing to perform the after-mentioned military services:-
(1) No man above the age of 40 years will be accepted, and every applicant will be subject to an examination by an officer appointed by the Governor, and must produce such certificates of good character, health, and general fitness for the service.
(2) Each accepted applicant, if not already in the Northern Island, will be provided with a free passage to a port to be designated by an agent of the Governor. Before embarkation he will be required to sign a declaration and agreement to the effect that he understands and will be bound by and fulfil these conditions.
(3) On arrival the men will be enrolled in the Militia for service in the Northern Island of the Colony and formed into companies, constituted as nearly as may be as follows:- 1 captain, 1 subaltern, 5 sergeants, 5 corporals, and 100 privates.
(4) Each man, according to his rank, will be entitled to pay, rations, and allowances until he is authorised by the Government to take possession of his land, when he will be relieved from actual service.
(5) Settlements will be surveyed and marked out at the expense of the Government in such localities in the Northern Island as the Government may select for that purpose.
(6) Each settlement will comprise not less than 100 town allotments and 100 farm sections.
(7) A stockade on the most eligible site in each settlement will be erected at the expense of the Government.
(8) A town will be laid out around or as near as conveniently may be to the stockade in one-acre allotments.
(9) Farms will be laid out around or as near as conveniently may be to the town. The size of the farm section allocated to each will be according to his rank in the Militia:-
For a Field Officer 400 acres, Captain 300 acres, Surgeon 250 acres, Subaltern 200 acres, Sergeant 80 acres, Corporal 60 acres, Private 50 acres.
(10) Every settler, under these conditions, who, upon being relieved from actual service, receives a certificate of good conduct, will be entitled to one town allotment and one farm section.
(11) Priority of choice for each rank will be determined by lot.
(12) After taking possession he will be entitled to receive rations free of cost for twelve months, upon the same scale as supplied to Her Majesty's troops. He will be allowed to retain possession, as a Militiaman, of his arms and accoutrements, and he will be supplied with ammunition for use, according to Militia regulations.
(13) No settler, after taking possession, will be permitted during the first three years after his enrolment in the Militia, to absent himself from his settlement for more than one calendar month in any one year without the leave of the Governor first obtained.
(14) During such three years he will be liable to be trained and exercised as other Militiamen; and whenever a portion only of the Militia shall be called out for actual service, each settler shall be deemed a Volunteer Militiaman, and will be required to serve as such anywhere that may be required in the Northern Island of the Colony. During such service he will be entitled to the same pay, rations, and allowances as other Militiamen.
(15) On the expiration of three years from his enrolment, each settler having fulfilled the conditions, but not otherwise, will be entitled to a Crown Grant of the town allotment, and farm section alloted to him, and will thenceforth be subject only to the same Militia service as other colonists.
(16) Any settler will be permitted to dispose of his land to any person approved of by the Goverment, and such person undertaking to be subject to the same liabilities will be entitled to the same privileges as the settler, whose place he takes.
(17) In case of death of any settler before he shall have become entitled to his Crown Grant, the land to which he is entitled will be granted to his wife or children, or to such other person as he shall by writing appoint - or it may be taken for the location of another settler under these conditions, or for any other purpose; but the value thereof, in such latter case, will be determined by valuation, and the amount paid by the Government to the settler's widow or chidren, or another person appointed as aforesaid:
The pay of the Militia and Volunteers serving in New Zealand, with rations and other allowances, is as follows:- per diem (issue) - Captains 11s 7d, Lieutenants 6s 6d, Ensigns 5s 3d, Sergeants 3s 6d, Corporals 3s 0d, Privates 2s 6d.
"Fifty Acres of Land Free - Military Settlers in New Zealand. A number of Married Men with their families are required to proceed to Auckland (passages free); also, a limited number of Single Men to complete a settlement. None need apply who cannot produce testimonials of industry and sobriety. Lieutenant Steele will, on and after Monday, 18 January, be in attendance to make the engagements and give any information that may be required. For the present apply to Soper and Steele, Market Wharf."