Századok – 2011

KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Molnár András: Deák Ferenc követté választásának ára. Kortesköltségek Zala megyében 1843-ban III/689

710 MOLNÁR ANDRÁS költségekről. Izraelita pénzemberek adhatták Horváth János kamarásnak a 6000 ezüstforintnyi hitelt, és a kaszaházi kortestábort is részben zsidó mészáros látta el élelemmel. Ezeket, a kortársak előtt többé-kevésbé közismert körülményeket a konzervatívok megpróbálták felhasználni liberális ellenfeleik lejáratására, s ezáltal némi antiszemita színezetet is kapott a kampányuk. THE COST OF THE ELECTION OF FERENC DEÁK AS A REPRESENTATIVE Campaigning Expenses in the County of Zala in 1843 by Molnár András (Summary) When Ferenc Deák was elected in 1843 as a parliamentary representative in the county of Zala after a campaign of extraordinary size and intensity, involving accomodation, free travel and bribes offered to the voters, Deák, then one of the leaders of the liberal reformer opposition, refused to take his seat with reference to the fact that his election had been achieved by illegal means of campaign and had cost some thirty thousand forints to his supporters. The present study is based upon the extant financial accounts of the campaigning expenses, confidential private correspondence and reports of the secret police and of the contemporary press. After outlining canvassing as done by the conservatives who opposed noble taxpaying, the study describes in detail through an analysis of all known sources the two-month election campaign of the liberals who supported the taxation of the nobility, and the costs it involved. According to our sources, whereas the conservative campaign was funded chiefly by the Catholic clergy, and before all by the bishop of Veszprém, the liberals were financed by the local Jewish merchants who advanced the loans needed for a successful campaign.