Századok – 1991
Tanulmányok - Urbán Aladár: Batthyány Lajos a népképviseleti országgyűlésen 1848 decemberében III–IV/205
226 URBÁN ALADÁR Batthyány mandátumának verifikálása: Beér-Csizmadia id. mű 343. A mandátumot vizsgáló bizottság huzavonája iránti gyanút növeli, hogy az országgyűlési jkvbe eredetileg dec. 30-a van bejegyezve Batthyány és Molnár mandátumának igazolása, de azt idegen kéz egy nappal előbbre is beírta; OL Ν 70. Regnicolaris levéltár. Az 1848/49. évi országgyűlés jkvei. 16 Az országgyűlés zárt ülésére: Hunfahy, Napló 135-137; a nyílt ülés teljes jegyzökönyvét a Közlöny után ld KLÖM XIII. 940-952. Batthyány vallomása az eseményekről: Károlyi id. mű II. 185-187. Spira György az országgyűlés határozataiban tükröződő kompromisszumról: Magyarország története 6. Bp. 1979. 307-309. 17 A békeküldöttségnek a Debrecenbe menekült országgyűléshez intézett két jelentését, valamint Deák 1866. évi emlékezését küldetésükről ld. Deák Ferenc beszédei. S.a.r. Kónyi Manó. Bp. 1903. II. 367-380. Windisch-Grätz jan. 3-án kelt beszámolója Schwaizenberghez, hogy miként fogadta a küldöttséget: Károlyi id. mű II. 117-119. BATTHYÁNY LAJOS IN THE PARLIAMENT, DECEMBER, 1848 by Aladár Urbán (Summary) Count Batthyány Lajos, the first responsible Prime Minister of Hungary resigned on October 2, 1848. The sway of events pushed his figure to the background and we know little about his activity up to January, 1849, the date of his arrest by the Austrian authorities. The author of the article has written also a monographic discussion of Batthyány's activity in the period of his prime ministership. Now he gives a summary of the history of the three months in question. He confirms that the former prime minister and his family wished to settle down in Switzerland. When the Ban of Croatia, Jellaőiő learned about the death of Austrian Prime Minister Latour, he marched against Vienna, but sent the valuable, irregular part of his army back to Croatia. This large and undisciplined corps threatened also the Hungarian Vas country where Batthyány estates were to be found. So the count joined the territorial army of the country, but did not take part in any military actjvity at all, for he met with an accident right at the alarm-post: he fell of his horse and dislocated his right arm. The central issue of the article is how Count Batthyány, who had resigned also his mandate as an MP, came back to the Parliament in Pest declared unlawful by the king in October. The author considers it a fact that the moderate members of parliament opposed to Kossuth managed to get it through that the resignation of Batthyány was made known only at a secret session and was not made public. They namely wished the count to withdraw his statement and remain. At the same time, the left wing, especially the radical newspaper Marczius Tizenötödike launched sharp attacks against Batthyány and accused him openly with collaboration. The October lo issue of the paper was sent to the injured Batthyány by a friend. The count dictated an answer at once and the letter giving an account of his activity after his resignation appeared in the Pest papers as soon as October 18. The former prime minister did not, however, withdraw his resignation. On the request of his friends however, he agreed to his second nomination by his constituents. His re-election took place in early December, but he returned to the capital prior to this, in late November to organize a centre party among the members of parliament sympathizing with him that would in turn try to achieve compromise making serious concessions just to avoid the concentrated attack of the Austrian army that was to be feared of. One of the biggest obstacles in his way was the transfer of sovereignty and that the Hungarian parliament accepted Kossuth's motion and declared Francis Joseph usurper on December 7, not accepting him as King of Hungary. On the other hand, the verification of Batthyány's mandate was deliberately delayed. The official report of his re-election reached Pest on December 9, and the members of parliament were informed of it soon after that, but the report of the verification committee was presented only on December 29. So the former prime minister regained his seat only on that day. By that time the troops of Duke Windisch-Grätz were approaching the Hungarian capital. Batthyány had only one opportunity left to express his view in parliament and it was on December 31, when the MP voted for the transfer of the seat of the government and the parliament to Debrecen. Batthyány managed to get it through that the government send a delegation of five to the Austrian commander-in-chief to negotiate peace armistice and he was one of them himself. It is well known that Windisch-Grätz was not willing to meet Batthyány and demanded unconditional surrender of the other four deputies Then he had the delegation escorted
