on VSB news that he decided to vote in favour of the bill abolishing the death penalty and corporal punishment, only after receiving a note from the Premier.

"I've never heard anything so ridiculous,'' Sen. Oughton said. "I made the decision on my own and I certainly haven't spoken to the Premier.

"I received no note, no message, no nothing.

"I will be calling VSB to let them know they'd better retract that statement.'' Mr. Oughton was also incensed by comments from Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon who said he may have felt pressured to vote that way because he was white.

"It's a black Bermuda now,'' Ms Gordon said yesterday, "so there's concern that white people won't do anything they think might be detrimental to the operation of Government because they're not sure if it might be detrimental to themselves.'' Responding to the comment Mr. Oughton said: "It wasn't too long ago that the Government was calling for me to be fired.

"I'm independently minded and I don't have to kowtow to any Premier or any Opposition Leader.

"I don't care about being black, white or any other colour.'' But Mr. Oughton expressed concern that the flaws in the legislation managed to reach the Senate undetected after hours of debate in the House of Assembly.

"It amazes me that this was discussed for hours in the House and they never mentioned the errors,'' he said. "I don't know what they're really doing up there.'' Explaining why he voted the bill through, Sen. Oughton said: "I was intent on getting hanging and whipping off the books and that was the intention of the legislation.

"I felt that it should be dealt with expeditiously and was satisfied that the amendments will be presented in the next session.

"Sen. Michael Scott who brought the bill to the chamber made assurances that the amendments would be brought at the next sitting of the Senate in February, and I feel he will.''