Husting
Encyclopedia
A husting originally referred to a physical platform from which representatives presented their views or cast votes before a parliamentary or other election body. By metonymy
, the term may now refer to any event, such as debates or speeches, during an election campaign where one or more of the representative candidates are present.
word hasting or Old Norse
term húsþing, literally the house "thing
," meaning the assembly of the household of personal followers or retainers of a king, earl or chief, contrasted with the "folkmoot," the assembly of the whole people.
"Thing
" literally meant any inanimate object, but also could refer to a cause, suit, or assembly; a similar development of meaning is found in the Latin res, as in the word 'republic' or res publica ('public thing'), meaning 'commonwealth'. The word still appears in the names of some of the legislative assemblies throughout Scandinavia
, for example the Folketing
of Denmark
, the Althing of Iceland
and the Storting of Norway
.
"Husting," or more usually the plural "hustings," developed to mean a court of the city of London
. This court was formerly the county court for the city and was held before the lord mayor
, the sheriffs and aldermen, for the purpose of hearing pleas of land, common pleas and appeals from the sheriffs. It had probate jurisdiction and the ability to register wills. The charter of Canute (1032) contains a reference to "hustings" weights, which points to the early establishment of this court. It is doubtful whether courts of this name were held in other towns, but John Cowell (1554–1611) in his Interpreter (1601) s.v., "Hustings," says that according to Fleta
there were such courts at Winchester, York, Lincoln, Sheppey and elsewhere. However, the passage from Fleta, as the New English Dictionary points out, does not necessarily imply this (II. lv. Habet etiam Rex curiam in civitatibus ... et in locis ... sicut in Hustingis London, Winton, est.).
This hustings court jurisdiction eventually became obsolete, but the court still sits occasionally for registering gifts made to the city. Today, the Hustings Court tradition can be found in some areas of in the United States, such as in Virginia
, where Hustings Courts formerly decided local criminal and other matters. In Richmond, Virginia
there is also a park called Hustings Court Square, where polling votes used to take place.
On the appointed day the returning officer attended at the husting with the prospective candidates (or the agent of a candidate who was not present in person). The candidates, with a proposer and a seconder for each, addressed the assembled voters. This could sometimes be a difficult task in a large urban constituency, where unpopular speakers might be shouted down.
At the conclusion of the speeches, a show of hands was taken. This was an informal indication of the opinion of the voters and no official record was kept of how many voted for a particular candidate. Sometimes a candidate who found he had little support or otherwise did not want to continue declined to call for a poll. One example of this was seen in the 1784 election for the four seats of the City of London
. William Pitt the Younger
was proposed and "was returned on the show of hands, but removed himself from consideration before the polling was completed.
If after this process there were not more candidates nominated and willing to go to the poll than seats to be filled, the existing candidates were declared elected. This was called an "unopposed return". But if there remained more candidates than vacancies, the polling commenced.
During polling, each vote was declared openly on the husting, with the elector orally declaring for whom he was casting a ballot. The vote was recorded in a poll book, along with the name of each voter (which enabled further enquiries to be made about his eligibility to vote, if a scrutiny was called for at the end of the polling). In certain occasions, additional candidates were nominated as the polling continued, since this gave an opportunity for more speeches. Polling could continue for many days, so long as there were voters wanting to participate and the candidates desired to continue. A maximum limit of fifteen days for polling was imposed by law in the eighteenth century.
At the end of the polling, the returning officer was required to declare the result from the hustings and return the members elected. This could be a problem after a hotly contested election, and rioting was not unheard of. The 1722 election in Westminster
was declared void on account of such rioting.
In using the term in reference to the British parliament during the 1800s, husting referred to a platform in the Guildhall on which the London court was held, and evolved to mean any platform upon which the public nomination of candidates for a parliamentary election is made, and from which the candidate addressed the electors.
The Ballot Act 1872
did away with the public declaration of the nomination, however, so the term has not been used in that context since then. The usage of the word now refers to any meeting at which more than one candidate participates. This may involve a combination of a debate, speeches or questions from the electors.
In current Canadian usage the word is found only in the plural, to mean on the campaign trail, or to refer to events of the campaign.
Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept...
, the term may now refer to any event, such as debates or speeches, during an election campaign where one or more of the representative candidates are present.
Development of the term
The origin of the term comes from the Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
word hasting or Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
term húsþing, literally the house "thing
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
," meaning the assembly of the household of personal followers or retainers of a king, earl or chief, contrasted with the "folkmoot," the assembly of the whole people.
"Thing
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
" literally meant any inanimate object, but also could refer to a cause, suit, or assembly; a similar development of meaning is found in the Latin res, as in the word 'republic' or res publica ('public thing'), meaning 'commonwealth'. The word still appears in the names of some of the legislative assemblies throughout Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, for example the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the Althing of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and the Storting of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
"Husting," or more usually the plural "hustings," developed to mean a court of the city of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. This court was formerly the county court for the city and was held before the lord mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
, the sheriffs and aldermen, for the purpose of hearing pleas of land, common pleas and appeals from the sheriffs. It had probate jurisdiction and the ability to register wills. The charter of Canute (1032) contains a reference to "hustings" weights, which points to the early establishment of this court. It is doubtful whether courts of this name were held in other towns, but John Cowell (1554–1611) in his Interpreter (1601) s.v., "Hustings," says that according to Fleta
Fleta
Fleta is a treatise, written in Latin, with the sub-title seu Commentarius juris Anglicani, on the common law of England. The anonymous author of the book is sometimes referred to as "Fleta", although this is not in fact a person's name...
there were such courts at Winchester, York, Lincoln, Sheppey and elsewhere. However, the passage from Fleta, as the New English Dictionary points out, does not necessarily imply this (II. lv. Habet etiam Rex curiam in civitatibus ... et in locis ... sicut in Hustingis London, Winton, est.).
This hustings court jurisdiction eventually became obsolete, but the court still sits occasionally for registering gifts made to the city. Today, the Hustings Court tradition can be found in some areas of in the United States, such as in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, where Hustings Courts formerly decided local criminal and other matters. In Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
there is also a park called Hustings Court Square, where polling votes used to take place.
The Husting in eighteenth and early nineteenth century practice
The Husting referred to a platform or pavilion, a temporary structure erected at the place of an election. The returning officer (in most borough constituencies the Mayor or equivalent civic dignitary and in county elections the High Sheriff of the county) was responsible for the detailed timing of the election and the provision of a suitable husting. County elections took place at a single place of election, which was usually the county town or a large town.On the appointed day the returning officer attended at the husting with the prospective candidates (or the agent of a candidate who was not present in person). The candidates, with a proposer and a seconder for each, addressed the assembled voters. This could sometimes be a difficult task in a large urban constituency, where unpopular speakers might be shouted down.
At the conclusion of the speeches, a show of hands was taken. This was an informal indication of the opinion of the voters and no official record was kept of how many voted for a particular candidate. Sometimes a candidate who found he had little support or otherwise did not want to continue declined to call for a poll. One example of this was seen in the 1784 election for the four seats of the City of London
City of London (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
. William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
was proposed and "was returned on the show of hands, but removed himself from consideration before the polling was completed.
If after this process there were not more candidates nominated and willing to go to the poll than seats to be filled, the existing candidates were declared elected. This was called an "unopposed return". But if there remained more candidates than vacancies, the polling commenced.
During polling, each vote was declared openly on the husting, with the elector orally declaring for whom he was casting a ballot. The vote was recorded in a poll book, along with the name of each voter (which enabled further enquiries to be made about his eligibility to vote, if a scrutiny was called for at the end of the polling). In certain occasions, additional candidates were nominated as the polling continued, since this gave an opportunity for more speeches. Polling could continue for many days, so long as there were voters wanting to participate and the candidates desired to continue. A maximum limit of fifteen days for polling was imposed by law in the eighteenth century.
At the end of the polling, the returning officer was required to declare the result from the hustings and return the members elected. This could be a problem after a hotly contested election, and rioting was not unheard of. The 1722 election in Westminster
Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain 1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter....
was declared void on account of such rioting.
Modern usage
The Ballot Act 1872
Ballot Act 1872
The Ballot Act 1872 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced the requirement that parliamentary and local government elections in the United Kingdom be held by secret ballot.-Background:...
did away with the public declaration of the nomination, however, so the term has not been used in that context since then. The usage of the word now refers to any meeting at which more than one candidate participates. This may involve a combination of a debate, speeches or questions from the electors.
North America
In American political usage, there is no exactly equivalent term. The closest phrase is that a person is said to be "stumping" or "on the stump" when involved in any political campaigning, especially speech making.In current Canadian usage the word is found only in the plural, to mean on the campaign trail, or to refer to events of the campaign.