Swordlength

All danger of that, however—which (though of course I should have done it unhesitatingly,) would have been not a little disagreeable in a country where respectability is measured by swordlengths just as silk is by yardlengths—is entirely over.

I believe they did introduce a rule there some time ago that members were not to bring swords or other arms into the Chamber. In fact, is the distance between the two front benches not so calculated that it is more than two swordlengths apart?

Below him is the long desk occupied by the Parliamentary clerks and, beyond, the Hansard desks spaced along the Parliamentary centre aisle — which is, as tradition demands, just over two swordlengths across, to keep hot-tempered Members from having it out.

A swordlength away, he halted.

Did you know that the House of Commons carpet has 2 contrasting strips of colour, one in front of each of the front benches? These are two swordlengths with arms at full stretch apart and the MPs must stand behind thes^([sic]) lines at all times to prevent discussions collapsing into a duel!

The Speaker’s responsibility was to ensure the orderly conduct of parliamentary business. To help him, a line along the floor (running under the feet of one of Gladstone’s colleagues) marks the boundary each MP had to stay behind on each side of the House. This was to avoid angry arguments becoming fights. The two lines are two swordlengths’ distance apart.

Equally important is the layout of the Chamber, with the party in office (called the government) and the opposition facing each other, their green leather benches 2 swordlengths apart and separated by 2 red lines on the floor, which no member is allowed to cross.

‘Only if we choose to halt here,’ said Sken-Pitilkin, who had matched the rigours of Guest Gulkan’s horse-coursing, and sat saddled a swordlength distant from him now.