at the airport.

And Opposition Sen. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said the proposed free drinks scheme should be restricted to tourists.

She warned that a plan to hand out free drinks at the airport as part of a tourist-friendly drive could cause problems.

And Sen. Gordon-Pamplin said even the proposed one ounce measures of rum swizzle could push returning Bermudians over the drink driving limit.

She said that fishcakes were "part of the Bermuda tradition'' -- and did not cause the controversy free drinks did.

And she added: "Even one ounce could be too much for a returning local resident who has managed to imbibe on his way down to the Island.

"Perhaps we could ensure that these rum swizzles are available only to tourists rather than those coming back to the Island.'' Sen. Gordon Pamplin was speaking during the motion to adjourn at the last sitting of the Senate before the New Year.

Members of the Upper House took turns to wish fellow Senators and Bermuda a happy Christmas and New Year.

Senate vice-president Walwyn Hughes said "a prosperous New Year'' was the traditional wish.

But he added: "There are a lot of things we want to be before prosperous -- like happy and respectful.

"We talked about road rage -- it's simple. Recognise the rights of others on the roads whoever we are.

"If we do that in 1999, Bermuda will be an even finer place to live, work and play in.'' The PLP's Sen. Calvin Smith called for Bermudians to "seek the common ground'' in the New Year.

He said: "Bermuda is entering a very critical stage -- people say that, but I wonder how much people really realise it.'' And he warned that the Island's future prosperity depended on kick-starting tourism.

Sen. Smith said: "The solution is that we have to work together much more than we have been doing.

"Some folks seem to have the view we can wait until tourism catches on because we have got the international companies.'' But he said a lack of employment opportunities and cash for Bermudians would inevitably lead to more people turning to crime -- and that would cause a crisis of confidence in the offshore sector.

He added: "An international company chief executive can just pull out his fax machine and move elsewhere.

"We need to look upon our visitors as our lifeline, as our survival. We need to cooperate and hold hands with each other in making certain our industry survives.

"The tourism thing can be regarded as a war of survival -- but this is still a wonderful Island.

"Just because I've expressed concern about its future, don't think I don't think it's a great place.'' Senate President Alf Oughton said that 1998 would go down in history as a year of change.

He added: "I think also it bodes well for the future -- it was a dramatic change which took place in Government and it took place in a calm manner.

"We should respect and trust, certainly respecting other people's opinions, even if we don't agree with them.''