Ságvári Ágnes (szerk.): Budapest. The History of a Capital (Budapest, 1975)
Documents
The Treasury Law, based on the laws of Buda and incorporated in the common book of law of the seven royal free boroughs, regulates the manner of electing chief magistrates and Councils under the 1493 Buda agreement The middle of the fifteenth century Chapter II. On the chief magistrate and the aldermen, that they may be of good fame and true faith .. . That before the chief magistrate of that appointed year completes his annual term of office he shall meet for consultation in the Council Hall, that is, the Town Hall, with the twelve aldermen of his year of office in order to elect those hundred men of the council on whose election rests the office of the chief magistrate for the coming year. Here shall these hundred men of the Council be elected by the unanimous will of the aldermen until the full number of hundred is completed, and these shall be men who appear most valuable and most serviceable to the interests of the city, and of more worth in themselves. And the name of each man elected shall be written in the city record. And these hundred elected common council-men shall, on the morning of the Feast of Saint George, upon the sign given by the famulus of the city, meet after the first mass in the Town Hall, that is, of the Council Hall, and shall discuss the election of the chief magistrate and also of the lesser magistrate called the magistrate pecuniary, and the election of twelve aldermen capable of dealing with the affairs of each and every person in a suitable manner and according to law. IV Chapter III. On the election of the lesser magistrate ... So they shall first debate among themselves the election of the chief magistrate who is constrained to administer full justice according to divine justice to both rich and poor. He shall be of good conduct, of good reputation, shall be godfearing, just, truthful and temperate, shall not be a drunkard, nor addicted to dice, nor a winebibber, a murderer, a usurer, a man of ill repute, nor a lecher; he shall not defame the good repute of others, shall not himself be a criminal, but shall rather be rich in honours, loved by the community, he shall also love the community himself. They shall elect such a man chief magistrate. And when they shall have elected such a magistrate, and he has been elevated to the annual office by the common Council-men, the same magistrate may on his part nominate two suitable men as aldermen either from among the aldermen of the previous year or from among the hundred common Council-men elected for the present year. And pursuant to this, ten aldermen shall be elected by the unanimous will of these elected common Council-men in order that the tally of the twelve aldermen be complete, and such persons shall be elected as appear scrupulous in the deliberation of matters, as well as being of honest morals and reputation. And in conclusion the elected chief magistrate and the aldermen shall elect a lesser magistrate called magistrate pecuniary, either from among the elected common Council-men, or from among the whole community, and the one whom they elect shall be a man universally deemed by all to be of good life and good reputation, and who is suitable and proper to hear and adjudicate cases according to the customs of the free boroughs. Ed.: M. G. Kovachich: Codex authenticus iuris tavernicalis, Budae, 1803, pp. 88-91. 83
