Off the Carpet

Colonel Sir Albert Lambert Ward is a Conservative M. P., a War hero, an expert rifle shot, and a onetime Parliamentary Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty and to the Secretary of State for War. A careless step of his last week took the House of Commons back hundreds of years.

From the front Government bench soldierly Sir Lambert Ward had hoisted himself up to plead the Government's case on a bill. In excitement he moved farther & farther out toward the centre of the hall. Suddenly came hoots of laughter and great cries of "Order! Order!" Sir Lambert looked around in bewilderment, hesitated, looked at his feet, jumped back.

Centuries ago British members of Parliament were occasionally given to the regrettable practice of pointing their arguments with their rapiers. To check the habit two red lines were drawn down the centre of the House of Commons about six feet, or two sword lengths, apart. When Sir Charles Barry's present Victorian Parliament building was erected (1840-50), strips of red carpet before the Government and Opposition benches took the place of the original red lines, and to this day no member may step off the carpet while addressing the House.

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