this morning as the Island remains divided over whether he should resign.

Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade, the Editor of The Royal Gazette , and Government backbencher Dr. David Dyer have all said Mr. Smith should step down from his Cabinet post as a result of off-the-cuff remarks he made into an open microphone in the House of Assembly last Friday.

But Government sources said they expected Mr. Smith would apologise, not resign.

Unaware that radio listeners could hear him, Mr. Smith labelled United Bermuda Party rebels "wicked'' and a "nasty bunch''.

And he suggested lack of support by Mr. Trevor Moniz for the Government's nominee for Deputy Speaker would affect his handling of a Planning appeal the MP had filed.

"I said I ain't looking at it for now,'' Mr. Smith told Government backbencher Mr. Irving Pearman.

Asked if the affair was raised at the UBP caucus meeting yesterday, Government Whip Richard Spurling said: "That is in the hands of the Premier and Tim Smith.'' Premier David Saul was to return to Bermuda from the Far East last night, as Mr. Smith returned from a fisheries meeting in Spain. Dr. Saul could not be reached for comment.

While Mr. Wade repeated that Mr. Smith must resign or be fired, Shadow Environment Minister Mr. Leon (Jimmy) Williams said he was saddened by the affair.

"It's regrettable and could happen to anyone...I don't want to appear to be whipping Tim Smith over this,'' he said.

It might be time for the House and Grounds Committee to review the use of microphones, he said. A red light could show whether a mike was on or off.

The Throne Speech Debate is unlikely to finish today, as hoped, Mr. Spurling conceded.

Scheduling an extra sitting next week or resuming debate next Friday might have to be considered, he said.

About a dozen Government MPs still wished to speak as debate on the November 3 Throne Speech entered its second day. Mr. Wade said many Opposition MPs had yet to speak and concluding today "may well be ambitious.'' Yesterday's UBP caucus meeting was attended by all five MPs who abstained from voting one week and stayed away from the House of Assembly the next, allowing Opposition MP Mr. Stanley Lowe to defeat Government nominee Mrs. Grace Bell for Deputy Speaker.

Last week, only one of the five -- Dr. Dyer -- attended caucus. "It's certainly a major step in the right direction, that they were all present,'' Mr. Spurling said. "We had a healthy discussion on many issues.'' BARE-FACES CHEEK BY RUGBY PLAYERS CRM Bare-faced cheek by rugby players As a performance, it contained an element of bare-faced cheek.

But the display by the two Canadian rugby players apparently left their audience -- not to mention coaches -- less than amused.

Police say the pair, from Canada's World Rugby Classic squad, were caught dancing naked in the early hours on a roof in Burnaby Street.

When officers arrived at the scene on Monday, the men were scrambling to find their clothes, said Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning.

He added the pair, aged 20 and 22, were arrested for alleged indecent exposure.

They are due to be appear at Hamilton Police Station today, and could face charges.

Yesterday, World Rugby Classic president Mr. John Kane said the two men were replacements for Canadian players who had dropped out of the trip to Bermuda.

It was normal for players in the World Rugby Classic to be former internationals, and in their thirties.

Mr. Kane said the two men had been removed from the tour following their antics.

In 1993, the Australian rugby squad was banned temporarily from the competition after revealing too much at a riotous Front Street party.

But Mr. Kane said the incident bore no comparison to the baring antics in Hamilton this week.