ng of Dr. Chalmers on
his own authority:--

2, LAURISTON LANE, _March 5, 1850_.

MY DEAR MR. MILLER,--When such conflicting statements were
advanced as to the bearing of Dr. Chalmers' celebrated paper on
education, although I had no doubt in my own mind that the view
you had taken of that valuable document was the correct one, and
had that view confirmed by a conversation I had with his
son-in-law, Mr. M'Kenzie, who heard Dr Chalmers discuss the
matter in London, and acted, indeed, as his amanuensis in
writing that paper; yet I thought it were well also to see
whether Mr. Maule could throw any light on the subject. I wrote
him with that object in view; and while we must regret that we
are called to differ from some most eminent and excellent
friends on this important question, it both comforts and
confirms us to find another most important testimony in the
letter which I now send to you, in favour of our opinion, that
Dr. Chalmers, had God spared him to this day, would have lifted
up his mighty voice to advocate the views in which we are
agreed.

Into the fermenting mind of the public it is the duty of every
one to cast in whatever may, by God's blessing, lead to a happy
termination of this great question; and with this view I send
you the letter which I have had the honour to receive from Mr.
Maule.--Believe me, yours ever,

THOMAS GUTHRIE.

GROSVENOR STREET, _March 4, 1850_.

MY DEAR DR. GUTHRIE,--When you wrote me some time since upon the
subject of the communication made to me by the late Dr. Chalmers
upon the all-important question of education, I could not take
upon myself to say positively (though I had very little doubt in
my mind) whether that document took its origin in a desire
expressed by me to have Dr. Chalmers' opinion on the general
question of education, or merely upon the scheme laid down and
pursued by the Committee of Privy Council. My impression has
always been, that Dr. Chalmers addressed himself to the question
as a whole; and on looking over my papers a few days since, I
find that impression quite confirmed by the following sentence,
in a note in Dr. Chalmers' handwriting, bearing date 21st May
1847:--'I hope that by to-morrow night I shall have prepared a
few brief sentences on the _subject of education_.'

None of us thought how inestimable these brief sentences were to
become, formin