source: The Vindicator, Charlottetown
date: Wednesday, September 7, 1864

Much indignation has been excited in the community generally against the Government at the manner in which the delegates from Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia have been received. When the Nova Scotians arrived there was no one on the the wharf to receive them and they were allowed to find, as best they could, their way to a hotel.The Canadians arrived Thursday, in the steamer Victoria, direct from Quebec, and after the steamer had been at anchor for some time, The Colonial Secretary-the only official, we believe, to be in attendance- started in a canoe or flat-bottomed boat, with a barrel of flour in the bow and two jars of molasses in the stern and with a lusty fisherman as his only companion, to meet the Hon T.D. McGee and the other distinguished visitors from Canada. We can better imagine the feelings of the Canadians than describe them as they witnessed the exertions of Mr. Secretary Pope to reach the Victoria, and still more when they learned his official character. The citizens were in blissful ignorance of the time of the arrival of the delegates, and therefore their absence cannot be blamed; but there can be no excuse for the government for their evident want of courtesy to the leading men of the sister provinces. The Canadians were under necessity-as were the Nova Scotians- of hunting up quarters for themselves, some of whom found their way into Eckstadt's Oyster Saloon, and there, we are credibly informed, the leader of the government, Col. Gray, and the Attorney General, Hon. E. Palmer called on Friday afternoon-the day after the arrival of the Canadians, to pay their respects to the Hon. T.D. McGee,-a gentleman who, in any other city in British America, would have been received in the most enthusiastic manner. To the credit of the city, be it said, a private catholic gentleman had previously extended to Mr. McGee an invitation to his house; but, from the cool reception the Canadians had received from the government, whose duty it was to have made every preparation in that way, as well as hotel accommodations, that both he and his colleagues determined, as we have been led to believe, to remain on board the ship except while in attendance at the convention: The New Brunswick gentlemen were somewhat more fortunate, as they arrived per Princess of Wales from Shediac late on Wednesday evening, a telegram from Summerside having announced their presence, as also that of Governor Gordon, on board. Pope's wharf was pretty well thronged on the arrival of the boat, and the New Brunswick delegates were shown to Hotels, whilst Governor Gordon became the guest of his excellency Lieut. Governor Dundas. Such, then, has been the reception extended to the delegates by a Government which could afford to spend 700 [pounds] on a worse than useless delegation to London. We are far from advocating extravagance and folly in this case, but we are also equally opposed to the other extremes of parsimonious meanness and discourtesy, the manifestation of which, at the first reception, cannot be obliterated by the hospitality of private citizens, or by the subsequent attempts which are now being made in the way of banquets, parties etc... to do honor to our visitors. If the visit do no good to the colony-as we feel satisfied it will not-it will at least give politicians of the neighboring provinces a knowledge of the spirit and character of Governor Dundas's advisers, whose claims to the reins of Government are based upon their political Protestantism