By January 1963, the House of Assembly was cut along UBP and PLP lines, with a scattering of independent representatives. The debates across the political aisle were personal, brutal and left nothing to the imagination. Members spoke their minds as they do today.
The Hon. Paul Adderely (1928 – 2012) was a maverick Bahamian politician and lawyer. He was the longest serving Attorney General of the 20th century, holding the post for 17 years. Sir Stafford Sands (1913 – 1972) was former finance minister, tourism wizard and a maverick politician in his own right.
In January 1963, Adderely (PLP) and Sands (UBP) clashed in the House of Assembly, with Paul Adderely making a suggestion, which considering the times, the 1960s, was indeed shocking.
Mr. Paul Adderely, M.A., LLB (Cantab), struck and offensive note in the House of Assembly on Thursday with references to “a four letter word.”
He involved the Bahamas, as a beautiful woman and the Hon. Stafford Sands, C.B.E, M.E.C, MHA, as Jupiter, in his remarks which seemed to take the House by surprise.
He said the Bahamas could be regarded as a beautiful woman, the wife of another man, an as Jupiter it could be imagined what Mr. Sands intended to do to her.
“It is a four letter word,” Mr. Adderely told the House. Some members seemed shocked.
Mr. Adderley (PLP-West) was speaking on Mr. Sands’ motion for the appointment of the constitution committee before the House suspended business Thursday night.\
During the morning session Mr. A. R Braynen, (Ind – Harbour Island) had made flowery references to Mr. Donald d’Albenas, Mr. Trevor Kelly, (UBP-Eleuthera) as “three gods” who had ascended to Executive Council. Mr. Sands was compared to Jupiter.
During Mr. Sands’ motion for appointment for appointment of a select committee on the constitution, Mr. Adderley said that in the lunch recess he had done research into who Jupiter actually was.
He said that Jupiter was a god who was able to transform himself into different beings. At one time he became an eagle…
Jupiter once saw a beautiful woman, the wife of another man, and “he wanted her — and you know how he wanted her,”
So Jupiter changed himself into human form and took the woman.
The Bahamas, Mr. Adderley added, could be regarded as a beautiful woman, and as Jupiter it could be imagined what Sands intended to do to her —-“It is a four letter word.”
