RUSTING, the "thing," i.e., assembly, of the household of a king, earl or chief (O.Norw. husthing). In England the word is chiefly noteworthy as denoting an important court in the City of London which for many purposes superseded the more ancient assembly of the citizens known as the "folkmoot." Its appearance is a striking proof of the strong Scandinavian influence which affected London in the i i th century. The ordinary use of "hust ings" at the present day for the platform from which a candidate speaks at a parliamentary or other election, or more widely for a political candidate's election campaign, is derived from the application of the word, first to the platform in the Guildhall on which the London court was held, and next to that from which the public nomination of candidates for a parliamentary election was formerly made, and from which the candidate addressed the electors. The Ballot Act of 1872 did away with this public declaration of the nomination.