D.—No. 2,

General Post Office, Auckland, New Zealand, September, 1863. Sir,— I have the honor to present to your Excellency, the Fourth Report on the Postal Service of New Zealand. I have, <fec, Reader Wood. His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B., Governor of New Zealand.

REPORT. A distinguishing feature in the Postal Service of New Zealand is the increasing demand for its extension, both by sea and land. In the Provinces generally, especially in those of the Middle Island, branch offices are constantly required, further and further in advance ; and, notwithstanding many difficulties, especially the great one of all—the absence in many cases of good or even ordinary roads—the Post Office has complied with the demand as quickly and as well as circumstances would permit. INLAND COMMUNICATION. At the date of Mr. Ward's last Report, the inland communication at Southland consisted only of a Mail between Invercargill and Riverton and between Invercargill and the Bluff, at an annual cost of £195. There are now besides these, Mails running between Invercargill and the Nokomai, the Mataura, the Gore Township, Whakatipu, and one between Riverton and Otatau, at an annual cost of £4,700. There are also, besides the Chief Office, ten Sub-offices. At Otago, postal communication was established with the Goldfields, which were discovered last year, as soon as population began to flock to them. In the first instance, the Mails were carried by the primitive means of pack horses. This clumsy method of conveyance did not however last long; for, before the Dunstan had been discovered many months, the Mail was conveyed by Cobb and Co.'s coaches three times a week. There is a Mail twice a day to Port Chalmers ; and daily to Tokomairiro, Tuapeka, and the Sub-offices. Mails run twice a week from Dunedin to Oamaru, Mataura, and Waipori ; and weekly to Cardrona, Queenstown, and Waitangi. There is communication twice a week with the Arrow river, between Waiwera and St. Johnstown, and between St. Johnstown and Queenstown. The annual cost of the Inland Mail Service at Otago is £16,327 4s. 0d ; and the total number of miles travelled by Inland Contractors yearly is 84,454. For the year 1861-2, the expenditure on the Inland Service was £3,372. At Canterbury, there are thirteen different contracts in force for the conveyance of Inland Mails. Two years ago, a fortnighly Mail satisfied the inhabitants of the Tiruaru district; it was last year altered to a weekly service, and on the 1st July, 1863, it was again altered to a bi-weekly Service. Next year a still greater extension will probably be demanded—namely, a mail between Christchurch and Dunedin, running three times a week. The distance, which is 280 miles, could be performed in three days. There are Mails twice a day between Lyttelton and Christchurch ; daily between Christchurch and Kaiapoi; three times a week between Kaiapoi, Rangiora, and Kowai; twice a week between Kaiapoi and Saltwater Creek, and from Lyttelton to Akaroa; weekly between Lyttelton and Port Levy, between Kaiapoi and the Hurunui, and between Rangiora and Oxford ; fortnightly Mails between Kaiapoi and Hawkeswood, Christchurch and Waitaugi, and between Christchurch and the Mackenzie Plains.

FOURTH REPORT ON THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND, BY THE ACTING POSTMASTER-GENERAL.