concern and outrage from members of the House of Assembly yesterday.

A youth, travelling with two others, in Mr. Quinton Eldon Binns' taxi on Sunday night threw an acid-like substance in his face before running away in the Shelly Bay Park area.

"When this country has young people who will move to such a low standard to damage someone, particularly a cab driver, for no reason, we are in trouble,'' said Opposition MP Mr. Stanley Morton . "I wish I was given the liberty to deal with the person myself.'' He urged anyone who "has any idea who the persons are'' to come forward with their names.

Independent MP Mr. Harry Viera stressed that the person responsible must be dealt with "severely'' as suggested by Mr. Binns.

"It will be a sad day when Bermuda taxi drivers have to put a glass barrier between them and their passengers, most of whom are visitors,'' he said.

Mr. Viera added that he hoped those who saw Mr. Binns' face "will stop talking about how we have to be nice to these young people who go around committing such acts''.

Shadow Education Minister Miss Jennifer Smith said what happened to Mr. Binns indicated that crime in Bermuda had been taken to a new level.

She said Bermuda was seeing the symptoms, but not dealing with the underlying factors which caused such problems.

"A person with nothing to lose is in a very serious alienated state,'' Miss Smith said, adding that there were few programmes in Bermuda which dealt with "real problems''.

"If we don't start to deal with the real problems soon, we will be increasingly shocked by alienation of young people,'' she said.

Miss Smith, who called Mr. Binns a God-fearing man, said: "I know that Mr.

Binns in his heart will forgive those people. After he gets over the initial feeling, his Christian charity will come through.

"You can hate the sin and love the sinner.'' Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen agreed with Mr. Morton and Miss Smith.

"We do have to look at the greater social consequences of these problems,'' he said.

"I still find Bermudians among the most friendly people in the world. They are still ranked very high by visitors. But they (Bermudians) do have a lot of pressures on them. The pressure that Mr. Binns just experienced is just one of them.'' Mr. Allen said workers, particularly those in the hotel industry, were facing the pressure of trying to keep their jobs and paying their mortgages.

"We have to look at ways of alleviating that stress and strain through getting affordable housing and economic equality. That will inevitably impact on our tourism industry because, with this, the attitudes of residents will improve.'' The ability of the ruling United Bermuda Party and the Progressive Labour Party to run Bermuda came into debate during the House's motion to adjourn.

UBP Whip Mr. David Dyer triggered the emotional discussion when he praised his party for attempting to "lessen the economic impact that Bermuda is experiencing'' and beginning to "put in place building blocks for what is a fairly serious economic problem''.

He commended the UBP for having foresight.

"The Progressive Labour Party has slowly, gradually taken note of the very bright light at the end of the tunnel,'' he said. "The blinkers are off and they recognise there are economic hardships in Bermuda.

"Had we followed the lead of the PLP, we would not have been out of the block yet.'' Mr. Dyer said while Bermuda was experiencing hard times, they were much less than what many other islands, which depended on tourism, were facing.

Mr. Morton, however, argued that Bermuda "is extremely blessed to have a Progressive Labour Party for its innovative talents, creativity and personal concern for the people of this country''.

"We have the vision, desire and organisation to run this country and will do so,'' he said.

Mr. Viera said while the PLP had made valuable contributions to Bermuda, it lacked consistency.

"Perhaps PLP should be changed to POP, party of the past,'' he said. "Who is leading the party?'' Mr. Viera accused PLP MP Mr. Julian Hall , who was last week suspended from the House for three sittings, of saying one thing outside of the House and changing his position in the House.

"I am amazed that the Opposition would walk out in sympathy, when the Hon.

Member who was suspended later admitted that he lost his temper,'' Mr. Viera said, referring to the episode in the House last week.

"If we're going to get around here, there needs to be consistency. You cannot say we are the Government in waiting when you have that sort of behaviour or you'll be waiting for a long time.'' Mr. Viera said having "two members in another place (the Senate)'' attack without facts is also not good for Bermuda.

"That will not lead to harmony and working together,'' he said. "It is very damaging and in a recession this sort of rhetoric will probably increase, which is only putting gasoline on the fire that we have flickering.'' Opposition MP Mr. Reginald Burrows said while part of Mr. Dyer's praise of the UBP may be true, "Bermuda unemployment at this time has been far worse for Bermudians that are now unemployed, than for persons in islands that may never have been employed''.

Mr. Allen, who chastised Mr. Viera for "taking advantage of Mr. Hall's absence to have his way in the House, said the bottom line of who has the real power in Bermuda is the "very conservative, imperial loyalists, right-wing district of Paget East''.

"When you have these shallow, callow members of Government, including the Premier, indicating they have this ability to make certain changes -- their base that they spring from is Paget East,'' he said, adding that some in the constituency had made it clear that they would not tolerate Independence when the Premier started talking about the issue.

Mr. Allen also defended members of his party in the Senate, noting that they have exposed a range of concerns they brought up in the Upper House.

"They have proven their claims,'' he said, "from the use of Police computers for racist Ku Klux Klan messages -- members of the Force were relieved of their positions because of that -- to the Bank of Bermuda advertising in Atlanta, to this week when Sen. Scott revealed there would not be an in-house promotion for the Prison Commissioner's post.'' "Sen. Dill said Sen. Scott was just spouting rumours then. The very next day this is announced.

"Those honourable members in another place have certainly been able to substantiate virtually everything they say.'' UBP MP Mr. Harry Soares said the PLP were more interested in exercising powers "like dictators''.

"We believe we are here to get about the people's business,'' he said, adding that one of the main reasons he joined the UBP was because "it appeals to everyone''.

However, PLP MP Mrs. Lois Browne Evans said instead of wasting time, the Premier should hurry up the UBP primaries and call an election.

"We know what the issues are,'' she said, adding that a poll taken by the UBP, PLP, and NLP would show that Bermudianisation and drugs are the issues on voters' minds.

"If this Government intends to be true to the electorate, they must hold fast to the Bermudianisation of this country so that we can share whatever economic wealth is available,'' Mrs. Browne Evans.

She added that the PLP will be vigilantly watching to ensure Government holds fast to its Bermudianisation policy.

Mrs. Browne Evans also stressed that it was the PLP who 20 years ago warned Government about Bermuda's drug problem.

"The foresight lies with us,'' she said.

"What is important to this Government is power and trying to hang on to it,'' Mrs. Browne Evans said. "But we have survived 25 years and will persevere.

This is a party. We're staying here and will keep coming over. And one day, ultimately, right will prevail over might and we will become the Government.'' UBP MP the Hon. Sir John Sharpe stressed that the UBP was in power because the people of Bermuda wanted it that way.

UBP MP Mr. Phillip Smith , referring to Mr. Hall's behaviour in the House last week, said MPs cannot expect respect from the public if they do not show respect.

And he went on to list things Premier the Hon. John Swan has done for Bermuda.

"The Premier gave the Opposition the mortgage for their headquarters,'' he said. "The Premier purchased the Co-op building then turned it over to the Bermuda Industrial Union without making a penny.'' Mr. Smith said the Premier also had the courage when he first took over that position to vow to clean up the Pembroke Dump.

He noted that now Government was planning the building of an incinerator, despite the PLP's initial objections.

Mr. Smith said the Premier also solved Bermuda's housing problem, improved the schools, and allowed more money to be distributed for students studying abroad.

Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade , however, chastised Mr. Smith for mentioning the PLP's private business in the House.

And he also expressed concern that the Premier used images of Nazi Germany and Hitler when discussing the issues of racism and power and the PLP.

Referring to last week's events in the House, Mr. Wade said: "If we're going to resolve the race problem in Bermuda, the community and this House will have to be able to accept strong speeches put forward.

"We have to learn to control our emotions and accept the other person's viewpoint whether we find it unpalatable.'' He also noted that PLP members could espouse their personal views, but this should not be taken as the view of the party.

But the Premier said the PLP cannot have it both ways. He said the PLP in one instance say only its shadow ministers and leader can speak for the party, then they deny being affiliated with comments made by shadow MPs such as Mr.

Hall. "The public knows the PLP plays games in the interest of power,'' Sir John said. "They attempt to hoodwink the Bermuda public into thinking they can do a better job.

"Last week I said the difference between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X is very clear. My party is a party of inclusion. It will always seek to embrace all people of Bermuda. My party is the party of the future.'' MR. HARRY VIERA -- young thugs must be dealt with severly.