Act 1997 after a low key debate.

UBP Sen. Yvette Swan said that she was pleased to finally see this legislation before the Upper House.

She added that the main purpose of the bill was to "remove the last vestiges of discrimination based on sex.

Sen. Swan said that Bermuda's legislation was based on the British Nationality Act which did not allow mothers who were married to non- Commonwealth citizens to pass on their Bermudian status to their children.

And she said that a second facet of discrimination was the principle which came out of British Common Law that a wife must take the domicile of the husband.

Sen. Swan explained that while the 1993 amendments to the Act alleviated some discrimination, it had not gone far enough.

Opposition Senate leader Milton Scott said that the bill was intended to remove only "what the United Bermuda Party called a vestige of discrimination.'' There were others he pointed out such as the gender discrimination found in the Bermuda Constitution.

And while the PLP supported the changes he said they were concerned about the rights of born Bermudians.

He said locals were worried about their rights at a time when the rights of others are expanding.

He attributed this disquiet among Bermudians to the corporate downsizing of the late 1980s that he claimed caused some locals to loose employment while contract workers were kept.

Sen. Allan Marshall (UBP) disagreed with Sen. Scott's characterisation of the last recession. He said that the evidence pointed to their being less work permits issued during that period.

And he said that there was nothing brought forward that would substantiate the comment that people on work permits were allowed to stay, while Bermudians were let go.

"This legislation is plain and simple in my eyes,'' he said. "It means that discrimination against women has been removed... and that goes a long way.'' Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said that he agreed that the legislation was overdue.

But he questioned whether Government has done any research to "ferret out'' other existing kinds of legislation.

Government Senate leader E.T. Bob Richards said that regardless of whether or not it was a last vestige of discrimination against women, the alteration to the Immigration laws "was a needed and positive change.'' Condolences sent to family of murder victim Senators on Wednesday sent condolences to the family of the late Beatrice Simons, 69, who was murdered in her home last Sunday.

Opposition Senator Terry Lister said that her murder showed that Somerset Village has reached a low point.

Meanwhile, Senators also asked that condolences be sent to the families of the late Mildred Hill and Victor Outerbridge.