The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1865-05-16 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

MISS KENT THE VICTIM OF NERVOUS DISORDER.  DR HARVEY, F.A.S., has written a letter on the Road murder. He wishes to know whether inquiry has been made into the state of Constance Kent's health, not only at the time of the murder, but previously to it or since its commission. "By such an inquiry," he says, "it is possible that much light might be thrown upon the matter, both an regards the girl's culpability and her motive for the crime, if she did commit it. mite is no period of life at which both the moral and physioal nature are no liable to deteriorate as between the ages of 15 arid 20. In woman this is the most critical passage of life ;—her mode of thought and feeling are altered ; —and it is at thin period that the gentleness, purity, and refinement of the mother exerts such influence for good or evil upon the child—influence essential to the due and proper balance of the human mind. It is at this age that we so frequently notice diseases of the nervous system through direct alteration of the blood elements circulating through the nervous masses and gauglionio centres ; and, as the result, we have vitiated sensations, perverted emotions, or even perverted intelligence; and it is a mere step from the morbid nature frequently engendered at this period of life to that state which culminates in undue balance of the mental faculties ; and thus we frequently observe an instant's impulse prompting to homicide or other serious crime. Now, in the present instance, it is just possible that Constance Kent may have been the victim of nervous disorder; the very feet of her present confession or statement infers the existence of nervous disease, as it is the excitable or easily depressed nervous temperament which is likely to suffer from such di-el' pline aad influences as may possibly have been brought to bear upon her at Brighton. Again, the very fact of her apparent present good health, though comistent with the existence of undue mental balance, is quite inconsistent with the mind ill at ease of one who has committed a crime for which they suffer remorse.  Tins prospects of the hop planters ere good. ON Sunday night and Monday morning several severe shooks of earthquake were felt in the Scotch village of (Jeanie and the mighbourbood. MR. JAMES GLASHISR is a candidate for the office in the Meteorological Department held by Admiral Fitzroy. WHEN Constance Kent was at • juvenile school she was always called by her little schoolfellows, "Mad Constance." Tat Owl believes that Government will shortly propose the vote of an adequate pension to the widow of Richard Cobden. JOHN SsituaLllotr, convicted of stealing £7OO, the property of the Bank of England, has been sentenced to five years' penal servitude. EARL GRANVILLE announced on Wednesday, at the London University, that it was iutended to establish a pew degree, that of " Doctor of Literature." THE Ow/ states that the Lord Chancellor placed him resignation in Lord Palmerston's hands, but the Premier "felt there was no reason" for accepting it. Tins suppression of lotteries in Holland has been re. solved "in principle," but, to spare the interests of those concerned, will not be carried into effect till July 1, 1868. IT is understood to be a Fettled thing that the Crown will grant licence to the Convocations of Canterbury and York to alter the canon relating to the subsonptions of the clergy.