Government moving to Pest

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The “Redout” building in Pest on the Danube embankment.
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Palatine Stephen addressing the diet from the rostrum of the Redout building
On June12 the diet (parliament) as well as the Batthyány administration began moving from Pozsony to Pest, utilizing steamships as the primary conveyance. Not having the time (or funds) to build new facilities, the lawmakers made use of existing buildings. The Diet was to use the “Redout” (a.k.a. “Vigadó”) building, built originally for concerts and lectures.

Parliament Inaugural

National Defense Committee

With Palatine Archduke Stephen officiating (the king being “gravely ill”), the two houses of Parliament were opened in Pest on July 5, the first representative assembly. The Upper House was essentially unchanged from the previous one however. The king had been scheduled to personally open the session, however due to illness the Palatine delivered the “throne’s address.”
The king’s message deplored the “evil agitation” in Southern Hungary and gave hints the monarch would look kindly upon Hungarians lending a hand in the “Italian war” (largely ignored by the deputies). He reaffirms the union of Transylvania with Hungary. For a complete text of the inaugural address (actually delivered July 8) click here.
The lower house had a particularly active agenda, meeting almost daily. These lasted until September, when it formed the National Defense Committee, (Honvédelmi Bizottmány) entrusting it with defense-related issues and named Kossuth its chairman.*

*Other members: János Pálffy, László Madarász, István Patay, Imre Sembery, Pál Nyáry

Back to Milestones of 1848-49

Source: Andrew Vadász’s Kossuth & 1848-49 Collection.