QUEENSLAND. (From the Argus Correspondent.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 132, 18 April 1862, Page 5

QUEENSLAND. (From the Argus Correspondent.)

Brisbane, March 19. The last mail from this port brought you intelligence of the safe arrival'of the Victoria, and the meagre account of the doings of Walker's and Landsborough's exploring parties, published in the Rockhamptori journals. Captain Norman lias baun in town ever since, and his vessel is takin<r in supplies of coal. Ido not know when he intends to make a start for Ilobson's Bay. The Victoria has not come up the river, as she draws, it appears, too much water to cross the bar; consequently the process of coaling becomes, more tedious and expensive, as the needful mineral has to be conveyed down the river to her in lighters. Captain Norman is, of course, being lionized in a small way for the time being. A complimentary dinner is to be given to him to-morrow, at the Queensland Club, at which I believe his Excellency is expected to preside. As for the account of the expedition, we haA'6 all to restrain our curiosity as best we may. With the exception of the brief and vague items of intelligence which were published in the northern papers on the arrival of the Victoria, nothing has transpired of the particulars of Walker's journey. I suppose the official report will not be published until Captain Norman reaches Victoria. Landsborough's diary of his expedition from the Albert to the southwest and "back again," as Sawney says, has been published, but it is very brief, and not very interesting. It was intrusted to Captain Norman, for delivery to the Queensland Government. In acknowledging the receipt of the diary, the Colonial Secretary has taken the occasion of highly complimenting Captain Norman for the manner in which he has acquitted himself in the discharge of the important duty upon which he was sent to the Gulf. Walker's diary is, of course, the one with the. contents of which people are the most anxious to be made acquainted. I learn that the Flinders was explored to the disiance of about seventy miles from its mouth, and that there it was a noble stream runuine between steep banks, with a magnificent reach stretching before. tlia oyes of the explorers. Stokes, you will remember, went up this stream to the distance, of only thirty miles.

The political world is, of course, very quiet at present; It is very generally rumored that iMr, St. George Gore, the new Minister of Lands and Works, is about to resign. His defeat at Warwick, and the consequent loss of his seat in the Assembly, seem to render his resignation inevitable, for there is, no other seat vacant, and he is not the sort of man ibr whose sake some convenientministry. might be found to resign. Itwasscarcely possible, either,'to appoint him a seat in the Council, as the salary for this office would not have been voted by the Lower House, if the Minister in question would'not sit in that House; at least, so a majority of the members of the: Assembly intimated la,st session, Whom the Ministers will appoint to the office of Lands and Works in the event of Mr. Gore's, resignation rumour does not say; I should not wonder if the place were offered to some member of "liberal" tendencies on the Opposition benches. The Continuance of" the Herbert Ministry, as' at present constituted in office during the next session seems to be looked upon as almost impossible ; and there is a very general feeling gaining ground in favor of a coalition; Ministry—an amalgamation of some members of the present Ministry with some of the more popular members, on, tlie Opposition benches. \

A commissjon composed of Mr. Cary, barrister, assisted by tb,e sheriff and police magistrate of Brisbane,, Mr. W. A. Brown, has been taking evidence at Maryborough ire re Mr: John Kent, Poliae Magistrate in: that town, who was recently suspended, in consequence of alleged misconduct on the bench. The report upon the evidence is not yet made known. I believe, however, that the,' evidence in favor of Mr. Kent, that on the point of-law out of which the quarrel arose, M,r. Kent was right, and his brother magistrate 'was wrong. Mr. Kent, however, 4% of a vei'y violent temper, and undoubtedly on the.occasion alluded to forgot, being hurried into unseemingly language by opposition to his will, his dignity as a magistrate sitting on the bench.

The Maryborough assizes commenced an the 6th instant. There were nine crim,inal oases for trial. There was one murder eas.e, the other trials were for horse-stealing and. laroeny. In the murder case, Tommy, the Chinaman, arraigned for the crime, was found "guilty," and sentenced to death. The murder was committed some six months ago at Apes Creek, a station, I believe, some 150 or 200 miles from Rockhampton. The murdered man, George : Lang, was working on the same station where Tommy was shepherding. One day he. killed- Tommy's doe, and Tommy swore that he would have his life for it. ;He kept his ■word, for, catching the unfortunate European out away from the other men on fie station one dark night, three stabs' released him from his vow. A. prospectus has just been issued for a local insurance company, to be called the Queensland Fire Insurance Company. Considering that fires here have happily of late years been few and far between, the insurance companies of New South Wales, with which principally our business in this line is, done at done at present, must be making a. good thing out of us. To form a company, therefore, the profits of which would go in_tq tftft of the Queensland shareholders, appears; a,^ wise speculation, the only fear to be. entertained is, that when n, local company is 'once started and greater facilities than at present given for effecting insurance, fires may alarmingly and mysteriously become prevalent.

The Norwich people have collected the preliminary thousand pounds, to which the Govemmeut nowhas to add a like sum, for the establishment of their grammar-school. The Ipswich grammar-school, shouldit become tifo.it uocompli—za seems now pro-bable—will-be. |ho first institution of its kind' established in ." Queensland under the provisions of the [Grammar Sohools Act. \ '

Nothing Like Trying ! —Frederick the Great asked an Englishman whether one hundred of English guardsmen could beat tb,e same number «f Prussian. ' Upon my word, I don't know," said the Englishman ; ! < but fifty would try \" :

A' Truly Agreeable Helpmate. — Instead of turning every young woman into a " heavenly Una, with her milk-white'lambV better let us have her a "neat-banded Phyllis," cooking savoury messes, and looking-at-lambsi like Lady Walter Scott, witji a chief eye to their speedy appearance in pasties. She holds all the husband who holds his stomach. That is the true pianoforte for the accomplished instrumentalist :to play upon -who wishes ;to 'be'mistress of: her own household:' The ear never tires; the heart never nauseates of that music, if pitched ; on- the right key. Literature, drawing-room accomplishm.e^its, graceful manners, a fine bearing, an elegan,t oonvcrsationy are admirable■■' charms, no dpubjt,: but" they don't m^ke; and they don't' keep, a liom.e. ' Th,e, woman who in middle societyr--I: Hardly kiibw why I should make this litnjl^ionT—has'quartered herself upon a husband !wh.ose future is -but a'contingencyi, and cannot be cook, nurse, semptress, and housekeeper :6n an emergency, enjoys her establishment under false pretences. --Dublin university Magazine. '" '■"■ ■"■ ' : A Natokaij Question.^" Father, are'the hogs that go to Cincinatti 'ill V ' " No, my child—-why do you ask T 3 said the father. '"" Because the pipersl say that they"toe cured tUere.V V ,:■ \ ; ; .

Vkrbatim Repor'tinq.—Complaints arc occasionally ! innde'.by' members' of Parliament that thoir speeches sire not reported .verbatim.; The pla i of giving. Verbatim' reports wasonce tried hy JpivStoelunril, and the result, as may'be'expected;'was unfavourable -in the extreme .The members■<made ilowniight fools of themselves, and set the people lnutihing from one end of the country to the other. Lord Castlercagh exhibited himsself as '•' standing prostrate at the loot of her Majesty," and "as walking forward with his back turned upon himself." Sir Frederick Flood, one of the Irish members and a great stickler for verbatim reports, appeared one mormn«; as having on the previous evening enlightened tha House with following profound philosophy and brilliant eloquence : "Mr. Speaker, a.s I was coming to this house to perform the duty of the country and ould Ireland, in which I was born and dacently reared, I was brutally attacked, sir, by a mob, Sir. Speaker, ragamuffins, sir; if, sir, any parcel of spalpeens, sir, as were after attacking me, Mr. Speaker, then I say that if you do not, Mr. Speaker, be afther protecting gintlemen like myself, we cannot come to the House of Parliament at all at all, Air. Speaker. And in such a case, Mr. Speaker, may I be axing you, sir, what would become of the business of the country, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker V This proved a complete extinguisher to Sir Fred. Flood's penchant for verbatim reporting. The day on which this oration appeared he went to the editors of all the morning- papers, and said that in future he would leave his speeches to the " discretion of the repor-thers."—-Eni/fe/i paper. Perseverance.—At the close of the last century a poor, awkward, uncouth boy entered London; but he was so long, lank, and ungainly, that beseemed fit only to bo the drudge of a printing-office—run errands, bring water, sweep the floor, and the like. Already had poverty and the hardness of the world made him sour, unhopeful, and despondent. Under less discouragements, many a youth has abandoned himself to a thriftless life, having no higher aim than to live but for the day ; or, worse still, has plunged headlong into all the extravagances and indulgences connected with thriftlessness and crime. But the boy had vigorous health : this imparted to him a mental vim, a moral power, which soon showed itself to his employer. He was prompt, persevering, and painstaking ; and with these three qualities, in spite of the fact that he was good at nothing (in everything tolerably only), he made his patient way, step by step, to the "woolsack" (that is, the seat of the highest judge in England), and lately died worth £200,000, among the most honored men of his nation and age, Loril Ciiief Justice Campbell. In this ca^e, vigorous health was a mine of wealth, a better fortune than if he had been the heir of many thousands. And certain is it that the worll would be a happier world, and the men in it would be happier, better, and greater, if onu tithe of the time, and care, and study, "which parents bestow on the accumulation of money to leave to their jhildren, were devoted to the physical education and training necessary to secure a vigorous constitution. Of any two young men starting an the race of life, one poor but healthy, and the other rich and effeminate, other things baing equal, the chances for usefulness, honor, and a well-remembered name, are manifold in favor of the former. Every man of the least observation and reflection knows this to be an indisputable truth. Yet, in view of the fact that vigorous health is a better and safer fortuue than stocks and bonds, how many in each hundred parents who read this article will lay it down and resolve : " I will do more to leave to my children a vigorous constitution !" Another element in the success of Lord Chief Justice Campbell was, that his employer, seeing his dull nature, but noticing at the same time that when he had anything to do, he went at it promptly, and, with great painstaking, kept at it until the work in hand was done, although painfully slow, he patted him on the shoulder, always spoke cheerfully to him, and, with considerate consistency, threw little jobs in the way, by which the heavy boy might earn a little money, anil be stimulated of greater activities. How many a youth at school, how many an apprentice in the shop, how many a child in the family, has gone out in the night of a blighted life, who, with humane encouragement, might have lived usefully and died famous, let the passionate teacher, master, and parent enquire, and do a little more patting on the shoulder.— Hall's Journal of Health.

Sheridan was once spending a few days at Bristol, and wanted a new pair of boots, but could not afford to pay for them. Shortly before he left, he called on two bootmakers, and ordered of each a pair, promising payment on delivery. He fixed the morning of his departure for the tradesmen to send in their goods. When the first arrived, he tried on the boots, but complained that the right one pinched a little, and ordered Crispin to take it back and stretch it, and bring it again at nine next morning. The second arrived soon after, and this time it was the boot for the left pinched. Same complaint, same order given, each had taken away only the pinching boot, and left the other behind. The same afternoon Sheridan left in his new boots for town, and when the two shoemakers called at nine the next day, we can imagine their disgust at finding how neatly they had been, done. Where to find Sympathy.—"My brudders,'* said a waggish darkey to a crowd, "in all affliction,, in all ob your troubles, dar is one place you can always find sympathy." •" Whar, .whar V shouted several of his auditors. "In de dictionary!" he replied, rolling his eyes skywards. An Accommodating Story-teller.—A New Hampshire man told a. story about a flock of rooks nine miles long, aa thick that you could not see the sun through it.. '•'Don't believe it," was the reply. " Wa]>" said the narrator, "you're a stranger, and I don,'t, want to quarrel with you. So to please you, ■I'll take a quarter of a mile off the thinnest end."

An old Acquaintanob.—Lord Chief Justice Holt,, when a young man, was very dissipated, and belonged to a club of wild Mlows; most of whom took an infamous course of life. When his Lordship was engaged at the Old Bailey, a man was convicted of highwoy robbery, whom the Judge remembered to_ have been one of his old companions. Moved by curiosity, Holt, thinking that the fellow did not know him,, asked what had become of his old associates. Th» culprit, making a low bow, and fetching n deep sigh, replied, "All, my lord,'' they are all hanged but your Lordship and I.".