NOTICE.—The readers of the "HOUSEHOLD NARRATIVE OF CURRENT EVENTS" are respectfully informed that
it has been decided to abandon the introductory article which has hitherto formed a part of each month's
number under the head  of The Three Kingdoms. This alteration has been determined on, both in
consideration of the advisability of separating the expression of opinion from a faithful record of events; and in
consideration of that record requiring all the space we can allot to it.

NARRATIVE OF POLITICS.

Our last number contains a list of the New Cabinet.
The following are the Official appointments made to
complete the Administration:—

Postmaster-General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Viscount Canning.
President of the Board of Trade . . . . . . .  Rt. Hon. E. Cardwell.
Vice-President of the Board of. . . . . . .  }
    Trade, and Paymaster-General          }  Ld. Stanley of Alderley.
    of the Forces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . }
President of the Poor Law Board. . .  . . .   Rt. Hon. M. T. Baines.
Chancellor of the Duchy of                    }
    Lancaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . }   Rt. Hon. E. Strutt.
Secretary to the Admiralty . .  . . . . . .  . .   Mr. Bernal Osborne.
Under-Secretary of State for the           }
     Colonies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . }   Mr. F. Peel.
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign    }
     Affairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  }   Lord Wodehouse
Under Secretary, Home Department. . .    Hon. H. Fitzroy.
Joint Secretaries to the Treasury. . . . . {   Rt. Hon. G. Hayter.
                                                              {   Mr. Wilson
Joint Secretaries to the Board of          {   R Lowe, Esq.
    Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .{  The other not filled up.
Junior Lords of the Treasury. . . . . . . . .{   Mr Bouverie
                                                              {   Lord Alfred Hervey
                                                              {   Hon. F. Charteris.
                                                              {   Vice-Adml. H. Parker.
                                                              {   Rear-Adml. Berkeley.
Lords of the Admiralty . . . . . . . . . . . . . {   Capt. Hon. S. Dundas.
                                                              {   Capt A. Milne.
                                                              {   Hon. W. F. Cowper.
Clerk of the Ordnance . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Monsell
Judge Advocate-General . . . . . . . . . .       Mr. C. P. Villiers.
Attorney-General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Sir A. Cockburn.
Solicitor-General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Mr. Bethell.
Lord-Advocate of Scotland . . . . . . . . .      Mr. J. Moncreiff.
Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland . . . . . . . . .       Earl St. Germains.
Chief Secretary to the Lord-                 }
    Lieutenant of Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . }   Sir. J. Young
Lord Chancellor of Ireland . . . . . . . . .       Rt. Hon. M . Brady.
Attorney-General for Ireland . . . . . . . . .    Mr. Brewster.
Solicitor-General for Ireland . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Keogh, Q.C.

Vice-Chancellor Sir George Turner has been appointed one of
the Lords Justices of Appeal, in the room of Lord Cranworth.
Sir W. Page Wood succeeds Sir George Turner as Vice-Chancellor.

Clerk-Marshal to her Majesty . . . . . . .       Lord Alfred Paget.
Vice-Chamberlain of her Majesty's  }
    Household. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  }         Lord E. Bruce.
Treasurer of the Household . . . . . . . .       Earl of Mulgrave.
Comptroller of the Household . . . . . .        Lord Drumlanrig.
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms. . .       Lord Foley.
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard . . .   Viscount Sydney.

The members of the House of Commons who vacated
their seats by accepting office under the present
administration, have all been re-elected except Mr. Sadleir,
one of the Lords of the Treasury. He was opposed by
Mr. Alexander, who was supported by the Tory interest,
and returned by a narrow majority—97 to 91.

The Revenue Returns for the year and quarter ending
on the 5th ult., bear most satisfactory testimony to the
steady advance of our commercial and industrial
prosperity. In every branch of the national income, with
two slight exceptions, there has been an increase during
the past three months, as compared with the
corresponding period of last year—an increase amounting to
no less than £702,776, or nearly three-quarters of a
million. In the Customs and Excise, there is a trifling
decrease for the quarter, to the extent—including both
the departments in question—of £31,452. In the Stamps
there is an increase on the quarter of no less than
£187,514, wholly attributable to the extension which has
taken place in mercantile transactions. The taxes
show an increase of £233,951 for the quarter, which is
due to the circumstance of the new house-duty having
come more fully into operation during the latter part of
1852 than of 1851. The increase of £100,282 in the
Property Tax is a gratifying fact which confirms the
inferences obtained from other sources, as to the
present prosperous condition of the country. In the
Post Office also, there is an improvement, to the
extent of £26,000, and in the Crown Lands, of
£40,000; whilst we also find a trifling augmentation in
the Miscellaneous Revenue. Adding to these items an
increase of £25,393, in the Imprest Moneys, and of
£119,624 under the head of Repayment of Advances, we
find a net increase of £702,776 on the past three months,
as compared with the corresponding three months of
last year. On comparing the returns for the year ended
the 5th ult. with those for 1851, we shall find a still
more favourable result. There is a small apparent
decrease of £65,687 in the Customs; but it is more than
sufficiently explained by several large importations of
the Exhibition year. In the Excise, there is the large
augmentation of £263,811—a fact which strikingly shows
the augmented means of consumption possessed by the
working-classes. The Stamps display a still larger
increase, to the amount of £353,712; and the whole of
this accession of revenue may be ascribed to the extension
of trading transactions. In the Property-tax, there
is an increase, on the year's returns, of £204,714; in the
Crown Lands, of £110,000; in the Miscellaneous, of
£121,488; and in the Repayments of Advances, of
£228,354. On the other hand, we find a decrease of
£186,199 on the Taxes for the year, which may be
accounted for by the delays which arose in collecting
the new house-tax; and the Post Office exhibits a
decrease of £42,000, which is doubtless attributable to
the unusual excess in that branch of revenue in the
year of the Exhibition. The general result of a
comparison of the Revenue for the year ended 5th January,
1852, with the year ended 5th January, 1853, is that
the latter exceeds the former by £978, 226, or very nearly
a million sterling.

The present Naval Force of Great Britain consists of
545 ships-of-war (either in commission or in ordinary),
carrying from two to 120 guns each. Of this number
180 are armed steamers, from 100 to 800-horse power
engines, constructed on the most approved principles,
for active sea-service (besides revenue-cutters and smaller
vessels). This immense fleet, the largest of any maritime