Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan was accused of putting pressure on Senate to "stop stalling'' on the issue.

And Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade was accused of using Independent Senator Alf Oughton to put the discussion "in limbo''.

The debate is still tangled up in red tape as Government is calling for a Commission of Inquiry and a Referendum into the issues.

But the Opposition Progressive Labour Party believes the best way to discover if the Country wants Independence is through two general elections.

The discussion into the latest hold-up lasted 20 minutes before the main debate into the referendum.

Environment Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons (UBP) put forward a motion to rescind Sen. Oughton's motion passed in early March. That motion suspended debate until another motion by Mr. Wade, calling for a debate on the Commission of Inquiry, was discussed.

Confusion surrounded whether a motion could be overturned during the same session of the Senate.

Sen. Milton Scott (PLP) said: "Sen. Simons' motion has the intention of negating a motion passed by this house. The original motion should be valid, I understand, for the length of this session.

"We would be in breach of Parliamentary motions. I think that if we proceed along these lines we will not only be bringing this chamber into disrepute but also giving licence to people not in this chamber to dictate what goes on here.'' Senate President the Hon. Albert Jackson (Ind) decided the motion could go be put to a vote which was carried eight to three in favour.

Sen. Simons said: "The Senate, in my opinion, should not be prevented from continuing debate by an outside body.

"It is not appropriate to frustrate the process of Parliament by leaving the whole matter in limbo.'' Sen. Oughton stressed the intent of his motion was to encourage time for the population to be educated about Independence.

He said: "It was not my intention to bring in a motion that was just going to put things in limbo. My intention was to put in a motion that would help the community to understand the pros and cons of Independence.'' Sen. Oughton added that he been surprised by Mr. Wade's actions in saying he would not bring forward his motion until he had received assurances of more Opposition members on committees which are looking into the closure of the US Bases.

He said: "I am a little concerned that I may have been used by the Leader of the Opposition, although he told me he did not.

"I am also concerned about the comments from the Premier telling the Senate to stop stalling. I hate to think that anybody in another place is trying to put pressure on this Senate.'' Sen. Winfield said: "It is clear that Sen. Oughton is too much of a gentleman to say that he has been used. It is my experience that the course of action chosen by the Opposition Leader was predicated by the motion of this Senate.

"If anybody is bringing Parliament into disrepute it is the Opposition Leader.'' The motion to discuss the Independence Referendum Act 1994 passed by eight votes to three.

Sen. Oughton was asked to continue as he was the last senator to speak before his motion was passed two weeks ago.

He asked for clarification on what would be classified as "a majority'' in the referendum. He said: "I would hate to find us in the situation of the referendum on capital punishment when only 37 percent of people turned up. If we took a simple majority it would mean only 19 percent of the population on the electoral role took the decision.'' Sen. Grant Gibbons (UBP) stressed the referendum was not an attempt to railroad the country into Independence. He indicated there had been numerous changes in the world since the last time the question arose in 1979.

Sen. Gibbons said: "The point I am making is that Government would be negligent if it did not look at this situation at this particular time.

Government is not taking a position for or against Independence at this time.

"We are talking about a process, not a conclusion, but Bermudians should not be afraid of discussing the issue. The process will not necessarily be easy.

Discussion could open some old wounds.'' Economic and racial questions should be brought out into the open to promote a more healthy and open discussion, Sen. Gibbons said.

Government does not agree with the Opposition call for a General Election because it believes Independence is a more important issue. Sen. Gibbons believed a General Election could not be relied upon to get unbiased views.

He said: "A commission of inquiry is a neutral group which allows the public to look at the pros and cons in a straightforward manner. Without that we will simply have a case of claims and counter claims and the public, apart from party affiliations, would not know what was factually correct.

"The referendum puts the decision right where it belongs -- in the hands of the people of Bermuda.'' Sen. Winfield found it difficult to accept the idea of General Election to decide whether Bermudians desired Independence.

He stressed he had every confidence that Bermuda would be able to govern itself and stressed that the Country had been running itself for years. He said: "When Independence comes it will be an anti-climax. The day will come and it will just the same as the previous day.'' In the case of the General Election, Sen. Winfield asked, in the case of both political parties being pro-Independence, where would people who were anti-Independence put their crosses on the ballot paper.

He then made a plea that there be an end to political grandstanding and currying political favour. He said: "This is something rising above political parties -- it is the future of this Country.

"It is right that neither the Government nor the Commission of Inquiry took a position on Independence. If every member of the PLP is in favour of Independence then the whips are being used.'' Starting her speech with a little Latin, Sen. Norma Astwood (Ind) continued to stress that any decision made in Bermuda would impact on the global community.

Sen. Astwood added that she saw a necessity to come to a conclusion in Senate as to "yea'' or "nay'' on the matter of a referendum.

The Opposition had sought Independence for 30 years according to Sen. Neletha Butterfield (PLP). She said: "The best and most responsible way to determine the views of the people is with a General Election and not a referendum.

"The referendum is a recipe thrown together and baked in an oven of self doubt. Independence raises a lot of questions which cannot be decided by a referendum.'' Sen. Butterfield claimed Government was withholding its position from the public instead of clearly taking a stand.

Independence, she added, is inevitable and it is only a question of "when?'' She said: "A country moving towards Independence does not depend on a simple majority. It requires the vast majority and that can only be gained in a General Election.'' Sen. Lawrence Scott (UBP) spoke of times when Parliamentarians were allowed to make vital decisions because they were seen to be more intelligent than the general public. But he said times have changed as people have become educated.

Sen. Scott said: "A General Election will give the leadership role to the politicians. I am certain the public of today will have no more of that.'' He added that issues like sexuality and capital punishment were not the kind that shook the foundations of the Island.

He said: "Intellectuals have always favoured Independence. I am still pro-Independence, and some of my friends are against it.'' Following an exchange with Sen. Butterfield, Sen. Yvette Swan (UBP) stressed that the Business and Professional Women of Bermuda had tried to educate the public in 1980.

Sen. Swan said a referendum would mean a conscience vote and should cut across party lines.

An angry Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said he was not prepared for the discussion, stressing its grave importance. He said he was furious it had gone ahead.

Sen. Lister accused Government senators of talking nonsense and then arrogantly leaning back in their chairs.

He said Mr. Wade had no intention of embarrassing Sen. Oughton or putting him in a compromising position.

Government had not mentioned Independence in its election "blueprint'', but "now it is the flavour of the day''.

"I have a hard time coming to grips with how it is not mentioned in the 105 things to do in the blueprint and then a couple of months later Independence is the most important issue.'' He said pride was a good reason for wanting Independence, especially when it came to sporting teams. He said: "It is a farce having a national stadium when you are not a nation. Perhaps this is why the UBP have not completed the stadium because they realise we are only a colony. We need a national anthem.

I struggle with the present song about the `nation we have become' when we are just a colony that Britain would like to go away.'' Stressing the importance of not confusing Independence with self sufficiency, he stressed that many independent nations are rich. He added: "There is no bigger debtor than the United States. If we equate Independence with not going into debt then the US should have remained a colony of the UK. Maybe Whitehall could have saved them from that debt?'' Sen. Lister believed the main problem concerning businesses is the uncertainty over what Independence would bring. He said the PLP had tried to speak to as many businesses as possible.

For a General Election, he said, both parties should outline their vision of Independence and then allow Bermudians to vote on it. Both constitutions would be taken to the House of Commons and then another election would be held on the more favourable constitution.

Sen. Winfield questioned him on how those against Independence would have their say. He said: "In voting they will not only be voting for a party but for the issue.'' The conclusion of yesterday's debate will be in tomorrow's newspaper.

Sen. Terry Lister Sen. Alf Oughton Mr. Benjamin Hooks.