Ságvári Ágnes (szerk.): Budapest. The History of a Capital (Budapest, 1975)
Documents
Excerpts from Act XXXVI of 1872 on the institution and organization of the municipality of the capital Buda-Pest, December 22nd, 1872. Section 1. Buda and Pest, royal free capital cities, as well as the market town of Ó-Buda and the Margitsziget (Margaret Island), the latter two having been detached from the County of Pest, are hereby united as one municipality under the name the Capital City of Budapest. Section 2. The capital thus formed will, in pursuance of Act XLII of 1870, and within the limits of law, exercise as an independent municipality enjoy the following, to wit: a. self-government; b. the transfer of the state administration (to Budapest); c. it will in addition be empowered to concern itself with other matters of public interest, and indeed with matters of national interest, debate them, express any agreements reached on such questions, inform the other municipalities and the government of such agreements, and submit them directly in the form of petition to the Chamber of Deputies. Section 3. By virtue of its right of self-government, the capital will take independent action on its own internal affairs, reach decisions and frame municipal laws, enforce resolutions and municipal laws through its own officials, elect municipal officials, estimate the expenses of autonomous rule and the administration, cover such expenses and maintain a direct communication with the Government. Magyar Törvénytár 1872-74 [Collection of the Acts of Hungarian Parliament], Budapest, 1896, p. 79. XI XII Passage from the speech on policy given by István Bárczy upon his election as mayor June 19th, 1906 As a result of the in part obsolete, in part incomplete and objectionable provisions of the ancient statutes, as well as in consequence of slack practices, a number of deficiencies exist in the autonomous government of the capital. We have long waited—in vain—for the new Municipality Act. The time has come for us to make our wishes clear to ourselves. It is we who have the principal interest in the future of the capital. As far as I am concerned, I am prepared herewith to submit to the Council and the honourable General Assembly a proposal on the subject, even a complete bill. Let us debate it and present it to the government. 95